Enemy of the Resistance
by TWDGamerKenny'sBro
Summary: After Sonic's defeat at the hands of Infinite, it was believed that Shadow was working alongside Eggman. Now declared a threat by the Resistance, will Shadow be able to clear his name? As Infinite's power and hold over Shadow grows stronger, his world and virtual reality begin to blend into one. Can he trust what he sees to be real? (Image by sonicwind-01)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - Hello everyone. I wanted to write a story about where Shadow possibly was during Sonic Forces and the six months where he wasn't a part of the Resistance. I've made a few changes to the main story, so it's not completely canon, and I don't believe my story to be 'canon', this is more so of a suggestion of what could have happened, since it is grounded in their reality. If you asked me where I actually thought Shadow was for six months I'd say 'He was laying low and gathering intel on Infinite' but I'd rather explore his side of the story to the fullest, and put my own little spin on it. I also want to explore and expand upon the dynamic he has with Infinite, as I think that was the best part of 'Episode Shadow'. I don't know how many chapters they'll be, but I have the plot pretty much all figured out, I think it might run into the main campaign of Sonic Forces, and I'll be posting whenever I finish a chapter. Chapter 2 is already finished, so I'll post it in the next few days.**

 **I just want to thank sonicwind-01 for letting me use their fanart of Shadow. Go check them out on tumblr if you want to see more of their incredible art. They are really good at what they do.**

 **And that's it. Enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you think!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - Beginning of the End**

~I'll handle things my way~

Green Hill was burning. Shadow felt the blistering heat coming from the fiery blaze on his face as he rushed through the area at blinding speed. The flames rose up unnervingly close, threatening to scorch his fur.

A flock of startled birds flew across the red tinted dusk sky that was filled with choking black smoke and rising embers. Eggman's robots were laying waste to the valley, turning what had once been fields of lush green grass to a blackened, smokey desert ruin. Shadow didn't let the destruction faze him, instead he just pressed on, even when some of the robots spotted him. The sounds of heavy gunfire didn't even register to his ears as he plowed through the walking junk piles, reducing them to scrap metal in seconds.

He wasn't there to save Green Hill or the wildlife that once inhabited it. It was beyond saving. He was merely taking a shortcut, trying to reach the city as quickly as possible. Rouge's last call had worried him, there had been panic in her voice. Images of what might have happened flashed through his mind, each one worse than the last. None of them were pleasant.

Shadow feared what Infinite had planned more than the roaring flames that surrounded him. That brief amount of time he had spent in virtual reality had left him scarred. Their encounter a mere month ago had given him a taste of what Infinite was capable of. If his power hadn't been 'tuned' back then, it undoubtedly was now.

Infinite's words echoed in Shadow's mind as he jumped across a large gap, the ground crumbling beneath his feet as he continued moving. "Not even Sonic will be able to stand against me now."

What he said scared Shadow just as much as what he had experienced in virtual reality. If Infinite managed to get his hands on Sonic, he wasn't going to hold back, he was going to be relentless. He had to stop him, he had to save Sonic.

He just hoped he wasn't already too late.

Shadow finally made it out of the inferno and left what remained of Green Hill behind. Torched countryside quickly turned to city ruins. Eggman was already targeting this area. As soon as Shadow reached the tall city blocks, he climbed a fire escape on the nearest building, making his way up to the roof. Once he was up there, Shadow crossed the rooftops, scanning everything around him, trying to find any trace of Infinite or Sonic.

And then he saw it, something that stopped him dead in his tracks. The aftermath of a horrific fight.

Sonic was lying on the ground, battered, bruised, bleeding, completely limp, showing no signs of getting up.

 _Is he... Is he dead?_ Shadow questioned. _No, he can't be..._

Infinite was there, hovering above the ground, surrounded by a glowing red aura. Eggman was there too, sitting in his Eggmobile, looking rather pleased with himself as he stroked his prized moustache, a huge, menacing grin stretched across his face. Infinite used his unknown power to lift Sonic's lifeless body into the air, holding him high above everyone's heads, for all the world to see. They were showing him off, as an example, or even as a trophy.

Eggman laughed maniacally "Yes, yes!" He shouted with glee. "At long last, Sonic has been defeated!"

"He wasn't nearly enough of a challenge." Infinite muttered. He almost sounded disappointed.

Shadow glared at Infinite, shooting daggers into the back of his head. However, his attention shifted off of Infinite for a moment, as he quickly observed Eggman's other minions. There was a creature made of pure water, with a brain floating inside of its see-through head. Shadow assumed it was Chaos, a being he had never met face to face, but had been mentioned to him by Sonic at least once. Metal Sonic was also there, along with a tall, bulky, red, horned creature that he had never seen or heard of. But what his eyes eventually landed on shocked him to his very core. It sent chills rushing up his spine, twisted his stomach into knots and made his heart drop.

It was him. No, it was his mirror image. A copy of him. Another Shadow.

At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but as he continued to stare, it became all the more apparent that he was definitely not mistaken. The hedgehog that was by Infinite's side looked exactly like him. They had black fur, with the same red markings, they were wearing his rocket boots, his gloves, his inhibitor rings, they had his face, his eyes, they were even standing in his normal stance, with their arms folded, a frown on their lips. This was insane!

Shadow stood there, frozen to the spot, blinking in disbelief, watching his double.

 _How is that even possible?_ Shadow thought to himself. _This can't be real._ His mind was racing, filled with so many questions.

He was snapped out of his trance when Infinite spoke up again. "What should I do with the small, trembling, mutated fox kit?"

Shadow followed Infinite's gaze and his eyes widened in horror when he saw Tails, cowering in fear. He hadn't even noticed the two-tailed fox until now, had he really been there the whole time?

Tails had seen everything. He had watched Sonic die. He saw Infinite snuff out his big brother's life.

"Hmm." Eggman pondered.

"I'm surprised he didn't run away like the other cowardly pests, who fled as soon as they saw an opening." Infinite muttered, adjusting his mask. "No matter. His presence didn't change the outcome. I can just as easily dispose of him, like I did with the blue fur ball."

"No, wait." Eggman interrupted before Infinite could deal any sort of blow. "He is rather clever, not as clever as me of course, but he's very good with machines. He'd be a valuable asset to the Eggman Empire. The perfect slave."

"I'll- I'll n-never work for you!" Tails stuttered, a sob caught in his throat.

"Who said you had a choice?" Eggman questioned. He then turned to Infinite. "Bring him in, by any means necessary." He ordered.

Infinite drew closer to Tails, still hovering effortlessly above the ground. "Don't worry little kit, it will only hurt for a second." He warned, his hand outstretched, with a dark, pulsing ball of energy forming and growing in size and strength in his palm.

Shadow had seen enough. He may not have been able to save Sonic, but he could still save Tails. He clenched his fist, chaos energy coursing through his veins. A bright blue light enveloped him as he teleported down there, scooped Tails up in his arms, and teleported away in a matter of seconds. If anyone of them had blinked, they would have surely missed it.

"Wh-what was that?! Where did he go?!" Shadow heard Eggman shout, his voice thick with confusion.

Shadow had teleported himself and Tails a safe distance away. They were hidden in an alleyway, but were still in earshot. Shadow glanced around for a moment, making sure that the coast was clear, and that there were no Eggman robots lurking close by. He peered round the corner and caught a glimpse of Eggman, looking dumbfounded, while Infinite's mask hid any emotion he might be feeling. Thankfully, it seemed like they were none the wiser. His gaze landed on the other Shadow. His exact copy had a sort of... Deadness in his eyes. It was unnerving.

Tails' soft weeping caught his attention. Shadow looked down at the two-tailed fox he was cradling in his arms. Tails' eyes were closed, his face buried in Shadow's chest fur, with a tear streak on his visible left cheek. "Sonic..." He whimpered, his tightly clenched fists pulled up to his face as he cried. He was shaking like a leaf. It seemed like he was stuck, trapped in a brief moment in time, unable to move forward. He probably still thought that he was back there, about to be struck down by Infinite.

"Tails, it's okay. I've got you, you're safe now. No one is going to hurt you." Shadow told him in the most nurturing and comforting manner he could muster. His usual low voice and quiet tone didn't make his attempt at consoling Tails very successful. What Tails needed right now was Sonic, and Shadow wasn't him.

Tails' eyes shot up open, they sparkled with fresh tears as he thrashed his arms around wildly, punching Shadow as hard as he could. It felt like more of a light tap, since his punches were weak, there was no force behind them. "Get off me! Put me down!" Tails cried.

"Keep your voice down." Shadow warned in a hushed whisper. "Tails, I don't know what you saw but I swear to you, that wasn't me."

"Let me go!" Tails shouted, hot tears streaming down his already wet cheeks. He seemed to be frustrated, angry, and sad all at once.

Shadow did as Tails was demanding and set him down on his own two feet. "Murderer! You helped that- that monster! You helped him kill Sonic." Tails exploded, pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Tails, calm down. You're not listening to me." Shadow replied calmly. "I know you're upset, but I promise you, I didn't lay a finger on Sonic, I would never do that."

"Liar!" Tails cried, more tears streaming down his face. "I saw you, I saw everything!"

"Tails, please, just think about it, you know me, you know I wouldn't-" Shadow began.

"No!" Tails cut him off. "I thought I knew you, but I don't. Sonic trusted you, I trusted you! How could you do that to him? To all of us?" He weeped.

"Tails..." Shadow reached out to him, but the young fox backed away, shaking his head.

"Stay away from me!" He cried, before turning on his heels and running down the alleyway. Shadow chased after him, but stopped when he saw a troop of robots stomping round the corner at the far end of the street. Luckily, Tails was running in the opposite direction, and disappeared from view before the robots could spot him.

Shadow slid back into the shadows of the alleyway as the robots past. As much as he could easily take them out, the destruction of his robots would most likely alert Eggman to Shadow's presence, which was something he'd rather avoid. This wasn't a good time for confrontation. He was also the last person that Tails wanted to see right now, so it was probably best if he left him be, for now at least. He just hoped he found somewhere safe to take refuge.

"Perhaps the little fox managed to develop some sort of teleporter." Shadow heard Infinite suggest, as his ears tuned back into their conversation. "Should I go after him? He couldn't have gotten far." He then asked.

"No, he's not worth the time and energy. Besides, without Sonic, he's vulnerable, weak and useless, so he won't prove to be much of a threat." Eggman replied. "It's a shame though really, even if he refused to work as my slave, he would have made an excellent robot."

"A weakling like that? I doubt it." Infinite scoffed.

"Quiet, I need to address the public." Eggman ordered.

There was a few seconds of silence as Shadow waited, his back pressed up against the cold, stone brick wall.

"Greetings, citizens." Eggman's voice boomed. He must have been using some kind of amplifier, maybe he had a speaker on the Eggmoblie, or he had hacked the speakers across the city in order to broadcast his message. "I know you're out there somewhere. I want you to listen, and I want you to listen close. You're beloved hero, Sonic the Hedgehog, is dead. Now there is no one to stand in my way, and no one to protect or save you from me. Long live the Eggman Empire. I look forward to seeing you all _volunteer_ for robotisation. Those who resist, will suffer the same fate as Sonic."

"Come, Infinite, we have work to do." Eggman ordered after he had finished. And with that, they left, taking Sonic's body with them.

Shadow watched the trail of red energy that was the last traces of Infinite fade before switching on his wrist communicator. "Rouge? Rouge come in."

The only answer he received was radio static. "Rouge, I don't know if you can hear me, but... Sonic is down. I'm sorry... I wasn't fast enough. I'm withdrawing for now. Call me as soon as you can. Let me know that you're safe."

It was still a shock to the system, even to him. Shadow couldn't quite believe it... He didn't want to. Sonic was dead, and Eggman had won. And worst of all... There was another Shadow, helping them, and framing him for a crime he didn't commit.

Where was he supposed to go from here? How could he or anyone else salvage any sort of victory after such a massive blow?

Was this really the end, when the fight had only just begun?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 - What Makes a Hero**

Shadow had made it out of the city unscathed. However, although he was physically unharmed, his mind had been tampered with, as the image of Sonic's lifeless body still remained. If he had just been a little faster... He might have been able to save him.

He shook his head and tried his best to brush that thought aside. He needed to focus on the matter at hand. His current objective, which he had given himself, was to return to headquarters and meet up with Rouge. If she wouldn't answer him on her communicator, then they would talk in person. Although, it was odd for her not to pick up. It worried him.

Shadow could see that the tree line was starting to thin. Their headquarters wasn't far now, it was just beyond the woods that he was walking through. He had decided to take this route as, although there was a road leading to the base, the trees provided him with cover, so he could move around undetected. The dark cloak of night also aided him.

 _Rouge will be fine._ Shadow told himself. _She's strong, if anything has happened, she'll be able to take care of it._

 _ **She will be fine.**_

He was approaching the edge of the woods, but he couldn't see any bright, blinding lights coming from the base, which was usually lit up from the guard towers and every window like a neon sign, especially late at night. The sound of clanking metal and hushed voices was carried on the wind.

Shadow's pace quickened, his breathing became shallow. As he left the acres of trees behind, the base gradually became more visible. Shadow's breath became caught in his throat as he quickly halted. The headquarters had gone dark... And his fellow agents had been captured.

There was a large deployment of Egg Pawns, who were guarding the prisoners as they prepared to transport them along with some large metal boxes. Those shipments most likely contained weapons and technology from headquarters that the Egg Pawns had collected up to be put towards the creation of the 'Eggman Empire'.

Where they were taking his colleagues, he did not know. The Egg Pawns had tied them up and were loading them onto a group of aircraft carriers. Maybe they were being moved to a prison, or they were going to be used for slave labour in order to mass produce robots. Or maybe they were going to be executed, or worse - robotised, stripped of their own free will. Shadow dread to think about what might await them.

Metal Sonic was there, his glistening, blue metallic body made him stand out compared to the other dull, grey robots. It seemed that he had been put in charge of the prisoners, to make sure none of them acted up or tried to escape. The restrained GUN agents looked fearful as Metal Sonic stomped up and down the line of people, scanning each and everyone of them. Shadow was doing the same, he looked over the crowd, but could find no sign of Rouge among them. He let out a quiet sigh of relief. Hopefully she had managed to slip away when the base had been inflated. There was also a strong chance that she had already been carted away, to be interrogated, so that they could squeeze as much information out of her as possible. He believed it was the former. He wanted it to be the former so badly.

Eggman had thought of every tiny detail in his new plan, which was rather surprising to Shadow, as the good Doctor always had some sort of hole in his schemes that made them fall flat. Not only had he attacked Green Hill and the city, but he had also targeted all of the major areas across the globe, deploying dozens of Egg Pawns, and colossal Death Egg Robots. The latter could topple buildings like a stack of a child's toy blocks with a single step. Shadow had seen them in action whilst he had been escaping the city. And then, there was his right hand man, Infinite, the key to all of this. His newfound power was making Eggman's plan for world domination seem so simple and effortless. How long had the Doctor been plotting all of this? Months? Years? It was hard to determine.

Metal Sonic was getting more conscious about his surroundings, as he was turning his head to look in Shadow's direction. Shadow retreated back towards the tree line, where he would hopefully go unseen. He felt Metal Sonic's eyes pass him, but just to be safe, Shadow kept walking backwards, being mindful of any twigs that might be scattered at his feet. As much as he wanted to help his fellow agents, he couldn't rush in blindly and take on Metal Sonic and his army of robots alone. They could end up using one of the prisoners as a bargaining chip, to get Shadow to surrender. It was just too high of a risk, he wasn't going to put someone's life in danger, nor allow himself to get captured. No good would come from it.

He was going to have to leave them to their fates, as much as he hated to do so. But he promised himself and the captured agents that he would find Rouge, track them down, and set them free as soon as possible. Shadow had every intention to rescue them... Just not here. He didn't like having to stand idly by as other people got hurt... He had already done it once today. But someone had to make the tough decisions, so it fell to him to choose.

Shadow surveyed the GUN agents from afar one last time before walking away. He hoped Eggman was merciful.

During his walk back through the forest, there were a couple of times where he almost turned back, but he forced himself to keep moving in the direction he was travelling in. _It's not too late,_ _you_ _can_ _still_ _save_ _them._ A loud, annoying, nagging voice said, constantly repeating itself. _What would Rouge think if she knew that you gave up on them without even trying?_

Shadow ignored the voice, which was most likely the embodiment of his guilty conscience. The best way to help the other GUN agents was to remain undetected until he could get a better idea of where they were being taken. This would allow him to come up with a well thought out strategy for a full rescue operation. This was the right thing to do. He had to keep telling himself that.

Once he was out of earshot and hidden amongst the trees and vegetation, he began fiddling with his communicator that was strapped to his wrist. "Rouge? Rouge report." He spoke softly, barely above a whisper, but there was some authority in his tone. He had to stay vigilant, there could be Eggman robots lurking around any corner. "Rouge? Just answer me, if this is some sort of game then it isn't funny!" He told her, losing his patience and getting slightly agitated. Shadow had lost track on how many times he had tried to reach out to her. There was nothing but radio static. "Can anyone hear me? Anyone at all? ...Rouge? ...Omega?"

Shadow had to be desperate to be calling Omega. He certainly wasn't going to respond. His robot companion had been declared missing in action a month ago. They had never been able to retrieve him, not broken pieces of his robot shell or even a small memory chip. Not a single shred of Omega's remains could be found. His last known coordinates didn't make any sense.

Shadow guessed that the reason Omega had disappeared without a trace was down to Infinite. His assumption was that Omega had been completely obliterated, and his atoms had been scattered to the wind. This wasn't beyond the realm of possibility, as it seemed that Infinite could bend matter to his will and warp whatever space that surrounds him. How else would Eggman have turned Green Hill into a desert? A drastic change like that couldn't just happen with a flick of a switch. It would explain why there were areas of Green Hill still remaining further away from Eggman's Arsenal Pyramid. Infinite's power could only reach so far at the time. But now the areas that hadn't been warped had been reduced to a smouldering pile of ash by Eggman's robots.

There might have been a small chance that Omega was still alive, and he was out there somewhere, deactivated and in desperate need of repair. Maybe he was still salvageable, but Shadow doubted it. He just hoped Omega's death had been painless. Other people often said that robots didn't feel pain... But Omega had felt human to Shadow for a very long time. A part of him must have been able to feel pain.

Shadow stopped messing with his communicator and allowed his arm to fall to his side. In retrospect, it was probably not the best idea to broadcast himself to all of his known contacts in an attempt to reach someone. He didn't know who might be listening, perhaps the other GUN agents had their communicator's confiscated, and Eggman or Metal Sonic or anyone had been paying close attention to his transmissions and were trying to track him down. Hopefully they hadn't figured out that GUN kept tabs on their agents' locations on a regular basis. If they already had, then he really was screwed. Perhaps Shadow would have to go offline, so that he couldn't be traced. But how would Rouge contact him if she had avoided capture?

He decided to leave it for now, but as soon as he heard from Rouge and arranged to meet up with her, he would turn his communicator off, maybe even dispose of it. He knew that the two of them would manage to find a more secure way of communicating. Now all Shadow had to do was play the waiting game... However long that might take.

Shadow cleared his mind of all irrational thought and just continued to walk. He had been running around all day, constantly going back and forth, he deserved a few minutes of peace, so that he could be allowed to pace himself. He'd need it, for whatever situation he was thrown into next.

It was a quiet night. He couldn't even hear any wildlife, there was no rustle in the trees, nor a hoot of an owl. Just... Silence, except for the chirping of crickets. It drew the attention of his ears to the noise he was making, the sound of leaves and twigs crunching underfoot, and his low, shallow breathing was deafening. He could even hear the soft beating of his own heart. Shadow was also trying to navigate in the dark, as all that surrounded him was inky blackness and the outlines of trees. The moon was hiding behind the clouds, but it occasionally peaked out and provided him with some light, although it barely managed to reach him through the thick cover of the leaves above him.

As Shadow pressed on, it became more apparent that it wasn't as quiet as he once thought. The sounds of gunfire could be heard on the distance, echoing and rolling across the hills. And then, there were explosions, loud, roaring bangs, that resembled a thunder storm, and split the sky like a clap of lightening. The fiery eruptions lit up the surrounding area, like a colourful - but not so pleasant - firework, tinting the trees and bushes with a red and orange glow. It only lasted for a few seconds before Shadow was plunged into darkness once again. More explosions followed, each one louder and brighter than the last.

He just kept moving.

How could he turn a blind eye to something like that? He was no stranger to gunfire and explosions, but to think... There were people over there, far beyond his reach, amongst all that chaos and mayhem. They must be crying out for help... But no one would be there to hear their screams.

Shadow shuddered at the thought. To think, if he had done things differently a few months ago, if he had known what Eggman had been planning... He may have been able to stop all of this. If he hadn't beaten Infinite, if he had just left instead of taunting him, or better yet, eliminated him there and then, when he wasn't much of a threat... Shadow could have saved so many lives. Sonic... Omega... Countless bystanders... They were dead because of him.

 _It's all my fault._

Eventually, Shadow made it out of the forest. He ran the rest of the way, but avoided using his rocket boots to give him a speed boost, as there was no need. He did teleport a couple of times, in order to cover some distance, before he arrived at his destination. He slowed down and started trudging up a lonely hill. Long blades of green grass brushed against his legs as he made the climb, but he stopped halfway up, and glanced behind him. Shadow then fully turned around to face the horizon.

The clouds parted, allowing the moon to bathe the landscape with its light. The burning of Green Hill had ceased and the flames had died, leaving only charred remains and broken ruins surrounded by a sea of golden sand. The blackened skeletons of trees stood out in the sliver moonlight, as they reached up towards the sky. Beyond that, was the city, where he could see the silhouettes of crumbled buildings, and rising smoke. There were at least three Death Egg Robots visible, that were stomping through the city and firing red hot lasers. Each step must have felt like an earthquake.

What Shadow was looking at was a nightmare. It took a few seconds before he could tare his gaze off of that madness. He turned his back on the awful sight and continued to walk up the hill. He didn't look back this time.

It wasn't long before Shadow reached the top of the hill. This was no ordinary hill, in fact, it was where Tails' workshop and house was built. Shadow assumed that this would be the first place Tails would go in search of refuge. It may not have been the smartest decision, as it would make it easy for anyone to find him, but Tails was distraught, so he probably wouldn't think his hiding place through. Shadow had come here to check on Tails, to make sure that he was safe. Even though the two-tailed fox hated his guts and wanted nothing to do with him, Shadow wasn't going to leave Tails on his own, as he could get hurt. He needed someone, and that someone was going to have to be Shadow. Besides, he wanted to tell Tails that he hadn't harmed Sonic, and he wasn't going to stop until he had convinced Tails.

As Shadow drew closer to Tails' workshop, he noticed Tails' plane, the Tornado 2, that was usually parked outside, was absent. Maybe Tails had taken it? If so, then that only spelled trouble, as he would be a moving target, just waiting to be shot down. He then noticed that the front door had been knocked completely off its hinges. Alarmed by this, Shadow charged inside, his fists clenched as he was ready for a fight.

The workshop was empty. There were blueprints littering the floor, as well as broken glass. The shards glistened in the moonlight, which was shining in through the shattered windows. It seemed that there had been multiple break-ins, maybe it had been a full frontal assault.

Shadow remained on guard as he called out. "Tails?"

Only the howl of the wind and the soft creaking of the foundations answered him. He wasn't here. It was doubtful that the attacker had stuck around either.

Shadow lowered his fists and scoured the building, taking note of what looked to be a couple of empty gas canisters lying on the floor. They must have been thrown in through the windows. Knock out gas? Or maybe it was just to limit visibility.

He assumed that Eggman hadn't given up on trying to capture Tails after all. Maybe the Doctor just didn't want Infinite concerning himself with this kind of operation, Eggman didn't want Infinite to 'waste his time and energy', as he seemed to have bigger fish to fry. It was considered a low, measly task that a couple of his goons could handle. Shadow wondered if they had succeeded, or if Tails had got away. Maybe Tails had never been here in the first place, and whoever broke in had just been following procedure. When the mysterious attacker found nothing, they seized Tails' plane instead.

Shadow decided to just double check, to make sure that Tails wasn't hiding anywhere and refusing to answer. As he headed over to Tails' room - which was easy to get to as the house was joined up to the workshop - he stepped on something that let out a loud crack, disturbing the quiet atmosphere. Shadow looked down and lifted his foot, only to meet eyes with Sonic's happy, smiling face. It was a picture frame, with a photo of Sonic and Tails, sitting together on the wing of Sonic's old plane, the Tornado 1. It was a bright, sunny day in the picture, the sky was crystal blue, with white, fluffy clouds rolling across it. Sonic had his arm wrapped around Tails, a huge grin stretched across his face, while Tails looked rather conceded, with only a faint smile on his lips. The glass pane that protected the photo was now broken, with a split right down the middle, driving a wedge between Sonic and Tails.

Shadow bent down and picked up the picture frame. He then carefully carried it through to Tails' room and propped it up on the window ledge. He stared long and hard at the photo, an expression of sorrow crossing his usual calm and stoic face. He glanced outside of the window, towards the city, or what was left of it. He looked back at the photo once more, his eyes drawn to Tails' face. Even though he wasn't as expressive as Sonic, he still looked... Happy. It seemed like a completely different person compared to what Shadow saw today. The fox framed in the photo was a ghost from the past. It was unlikely that he'd ever be the same.

"I'm sorry, Tails." Shadow whispered.

After searching the workshop and house from top to bottom and coming up with nothing, Shadow decided to turn in for the night. Just an hour or two of sleep... That's all he needed. Maybe he would get lucky, and Tails would return while he was staying. Tails had an underground lab, where he conducted more scientific experiments, rather than mechanical. That's where Shadow was going to hunker down for the time being, as it was important to be cautious in such a dire situation. If whoever had broken in came back, it was unlikely he would be found in the lab.

He left the lights off as he shut the door and carefully descended the stairs, before getting settled down on the cold, hard concrete floor. He had brought a pillow from Tails' bed to rest his head on. It took a while for him to fall asleep, not because he was uncomfortable... It was more so to do with the loss of Sonic and Omega, as well as Tails and Rouge being missing. Not to mention his double, that was out there somewhere, wreaking havoc. Even the thought of virtual reality, that should have been a distant memory, kept him awake. All of these things haunted him.

After what felt like hours, Shadow managed to drift off into slumber.

* * *

"Hey Shadow!" Sonic greeted, slapping him on the back, much to Shadow's dismay. "Nice of you to stick around for the party! I thought you were going to slip away like you always do."

"Rouge wouldn't let me leave." Shadow muttered, his arms folded. He was standing off to the side, away from the table and everyone else. He had been hoping that no one would approach him, but that dream had been tarnished.

"Come on, you and I both know you wouldn't rather be anywhere else!" Sonic replied cheerfully. "Do you want me to get you a slice of cake?" He then asked, a warm smile on his face.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry." Shadow declined.

"Okay, if you're sure. It's a really good cake, though. Super tasty." He told him, probably in an attempt to change Shadow's mind.

"I don't doubt it." He said dryly. "Looks like you've been enjoying that cake a little too much." He commented, pointing out a bit of icing smudged on the corner of Sonic's lip.

Sonic wiped the icing off with his glove. The two fell silent for a moment, but it wasn't long before Sonic piped up again. He wasn't done talking yet. He never really was. "What was that back in the white space? Why did you want to fight me so badly, I thought we were getting on so well."

"I just wanted to test your skills, to make sure that you hadn't gone soft and were up to the task of beating the Time Eater." Shadow replied.

"Aw, were you worried I'd get hurt? You big softie." Sonic questioned teasingly, giving him a playful nudge.

"No, not at all." He stated. "You've proved that you can handle yourself more than enough times."

"Don't lie, you were really worried about me, weren't you?" Sonic teased. "You were scared that I was going to get myself killed."

Shadow sighed. "You can believe whatever you want, Sonic. You got the job done, and that's all that I care about."

Sonic chuckled. "Well, it's nice to know that you care so much about me, Shadow. I'm glad you came to back me up at the final fight too, your words of support were really helpful."

"I couldn't exactly go anywhere so I thought I may as well give you some encouragement, since Rouge was going to do it too." Shadow murmured dismissively.

"You know, Shadow, I've been thinking..." Sonic began.

"That's new." Shadow quipped.

Sonic ignored that comment and carried on. "We've all come a long way, but you... You've grown and changed so much since we first met. You've got a great team that love and support you, an action packed job, and you've put your past behind you. Best of all, you and I aren't really rivals anymore, we're more like... Friends, who enjoy a bit of hair raising and dangerous competition." He stated. "You've become a hero in many people's eyes."

"I'm no hero." Shadow replied.

"I think you are." Sonic told him, with a genuine and sincere look in his eyes.

"You would. But, since we're on the topic of people changing, then I suppose you've become more tolerable over the years, but not by much." Shadow responded with a small shrug.

"Is that really the only compliment you can pay me on my birthday?" Sonic questioned. He sounded hurt, but he was clearly playing it up for laughs and his own amusement.

"And you've... Lost weight, compared to your past self... You were quite chubby back then, but you've definitely worked the baby fat off." Shadow added, struggling to find the right words. "You might want to lay off the birthday cake, just to be safe."

Sonic snorted a laugh. "Thanks Shadow!" He said cheerfully. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it? We might need to work on your communication skills a little more though."

"You know I'm not one for small talk."

"I know, but it's funny to see you try." Sonic replied. "But in all seriousness, I really appreciate you being here for my birthday, it's great to have the whole gang together, as I hardly get to see some of you very often. So..." Sonic quickly grabbed a red cup full of punch off the table and held it up in the air. "Here's to another few years of wild, exciting adventures, and so many more birthdays."

"I look forward to that." Shadow agreed.

"I'm surprised you haven't given up on me by now. I must have driven you insane countless of times. Do you think I'll ever be able to tip you over the edge?"

"Putting up with you is one of the greatest challenges I've ever faced, but I'm not one to give up, especially not on someone I deem as a friend."

"Shadow, did you just call me your friend?" Sonic asked, a gleam of hope in his eyes. He never would have expected Shadow to say something so openly.

"I may have." Shadow answered with a smirk.

Sonic pulled him in for a hug, nearly spilling punch on both of them. This left Shadow stunned as he remained rooted to the spot, completely unmoving, as Sonic squeezed him tightly. "I knew that deep down you cared about me. And don't worry, Shadow, as long as you're around, I'll never get hurt. I know you'll keep me and anyone else safe. That's just what you do. You're like me, that's why we get on so well. You help those in need, no matter what."

* * *

Shadow awoke feeling rather groggy. At first, his half asleep brain couldn't figure out where he was, but it eventually came flooding back to him. He rubbed his tired eyes and got to his feet, scooping up the pillow off the floor as he went. The lab was still dark, but there was some natural light creeping in from under the door.

As he entered the workshop once more, he quickly realised that he had slept a lot longer than an hour or two, as dawn was breaking. Shadow headed into Tails' room and placed his pillow back on the bed. He then turned on the radio, which rested on Tails' bedside table.

There were evacuation notices playing on the station the radio was set to. Shadow twisted the dial and switched through a few stations, but they all played the same thing, just some more garbled than the last depending on the signal strength. It was unlikely anyone was actually at the radio station broadcasting the evacuation notices, they were prerecorded and played on a loop.

Shadow left the radio on in the background and walked over to the window and looked outside, briefly glancing at the photo of Sonic and Tails. He began to think about his dream, where he relived a conversation he and Sonic had during Sonic's birthday party. Back then, Sonic had just been teasing Shadow, joking around and being his happy-go-lucky self. But now what he said took on a whole new meaning. It seemed so genuine and heartfelt. It was clear that Sonic had thought highly of Shadow, he wanted to treat him as his equal, and maybe even respected and admired him. There were plenty of times where Shadow should have taken him seriously, instead of ignoring him just because he could be annoying and got on his nerves.

Shadow, who had often tried his best to avoid Sonic at all cost... Missed him.

He looked out of the window again, towards the city. The Death Egg Robots were still there, and had gained in numbers, destroying whatever lay in their path.

Why did his unconscious mind take him back to that moment? He had spoken to Sonic many times before, what made that moment so special and relevant to what was happening right here, right now?

Maybe... Maybe it was time he took action. Like Sonic said, 'he helped those in need, no matter what'. Everything he had ever done, he had done for the people of this planet. There were still civilians in the city, people who hadn't been able to evacuate. They were in need of rescue, and he wasn't going to stand on the sidelines and do nothing, not this time.

Shadow would do everything in his power to save them. Because that's what heroes do. That's what the person he had strived to be would do.

He glanced at the photo frame, at Sonic and Tails, frozen in time, captured in a moment of pure bliss and happiness. Shadow's eyes were drawn to Sonic's bright, beaming face, the blue hedgehog's green eyes sparkling in the sun as he grinned.

It's what Sonic would do.

* * *

 **A/N - I'm in the process of writing chapter 3. Prepare yourselves, because Infinite is about to arrive on the scene. But not all is as it seems.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 -** **Evil Lurks in Shadows**

Shadow found himself in what could only be described as a hellish, desolate, post-apocalyptic wasteland. The sky was blood red, while plumes of black smoke were rising into the air and flames were eating away at what little vegetation remained on the dry earth.

Disoriented and confused, he stumbled and almost fell as he staggered through the wreckage of a crumbled building towards a pile of rubble and scattered remains of the world he once knew. He wasn't sure why he was approaching it, as everything about this just filled him with a sense of dread. Despite this, he felt drawn, compelled even, to keep walking towards the stack of broken pieces that towered above him. As he drew nearer, he saw bodies lying amongst the rubble.

Shadow nearly vomited. Some of them were still alive, still moving, unable to speak but reaching out to him, clawing at the air, longing, pleading for his help. Some were injured and bleeding, others were badly burned... And some of them looked like his friends. At the top of the mound lay Sonic, his eyes that were once filled with excitement and the thrill for adventure, were now glazed over and empty.

The sky turned dark as red tinted clouds swirled high above his head in a twisting, turning cyclone. A loud, roaring, distorted sound pierced his ear drums, and drilled inside his head, causing him to cry out in pain and alarm. Shadow clutched his ears, the noise was starting to become deafening. As much as he didn't want to listen to it, he couldn't quite tune it out, as he knew that sound - he had heard it before. It had been burned into his mind after just one encounter. He knew exactly what the source was.

A figure rose up from behind the pile of ruins and wounded civilians, casting a large, looming shadow over him as he effortlessly floated higher into the air. "Hello, Shadow, so good to see you again."

"Infinite." Shadow growled, gritting his teeth and taking his hands away from his ears.

"You remembered my name. I must have left quite an impression the last time we met." Infinite commented.

"What is this? What do you want?" Shadow demanded to know.

"I think I should be asking you that." Infinite replied, avoiding the question. "What exactly are you looking for, Shadow? That friend of yours... That little jewel thief... What was her name?"

"Rouge? What have you done with her?"

"Nothing." Infinite stated. "Yet." He then added slyly. "It's been four days since you last spoke to her... You must be going out of your mind with worry."

"How do you know all this?" Shadow questioned.

Infinite pushed his mask up and left his hand resting on the bridge of his nose, while his other arm was folded over his chest. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that. Besides, I'm not here for small talk. To answer your question from earlier... What I want, is revenge... On you. I think it's time that you and I finished what we started."

Shadow clenched his fist "I agree completely." He wanted nothing more than to put an end to this before it got any worse.

"I'm glad we're on the same page." Infinite said. "Although, despite the fact that we've only known each other for a limited time, I feel that you and I are... Bonded. Connected. You're special, Shadow, you're not like the others, we're more evenly matched, you pose more of a challenge. You make things... Interesting."

Shadow frowned, he had no idea where Infinite was going with this. Was destroying people's lives just a game to him? Not only did he like hurting others but he enjoyed toying with them as well.

"We were bound to one another the moment you struck me down. Now, we're destined to travel on this journey together and follow the same road till the very end. But I feel that having you nipping at my heels at every turn would grow rather tiresome... I'll keep you around, until I get bored of you. But we will have to cut our little dance short. You won't know when exactly that will be, until it hits you."

Shadow raised his fist and looked Infinite dead in the eye. "I don't want to drag this out either. If I truly had a hand in creating you, then I will also have no trouble destroying you."

"Hahahaha." Infinite laughed. "Such fighting talk from someone who barely has a leg to stand on. I'm not the same as I once was, Shadow, that mercenary you defeated with such ease... Is dead. _**I**_ am stronger than he ever was, and I am constantly growing in strength. But, I will allow you to believe that you have a fighting chance at defeating me, it will make crushing you all the more sweeter." He stated confidently. "I look forward to our next meeting, Shadow. You will end up just like that meddlesome blue hedgehog. I'll enjoy watching the life drain from your eyes."

"Shadow..." A voice croaked.

Shadow looked down at his feet and his eyes widened in shock when he saw Rouge lying on the ground, crawling towards him. She was badly wounded, her body littered with cuts and scratches, her white fur was stained by dirt and her own blood, her right eye swollen, bruised and tightly shut. Her clothes were tattered and torn, she was missing a glove. Worst of all, both of her wings were broken, limp and crooked like they had been snapped in two, and twitching on their own accord. Rouge's gloveless hand grabbed his leg. "H-h-help." She pleaded.

"Rouge? What on earth-" Shadow looked up at Infinite, a spark of fury in his eyes. "What did you do to her?!"

"Hahahaha." Infinite laughed, lowering his arms, a dark ball of energy forming in the palm of his hand, as red cubes began to surround him. That same distorted sound roared loudly as the energy ball grew in size.

Shadow glanced down at Rouge. She stared up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She was in agony. And then something else caught his eye. There were broken robot parts scattered at his feet. But it wasn't just any robot... The metal pieces were red and black, with a signature symbol marked on one. "Omega... No... It can't be."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Infinite cackled, throwing the energy ball at Shadow.

Shadow shielded himself with his arms as he was struck by Infinite's powerful blast. The flash of a blinding red light clouded his vision, before his world was plunged into darkness.

* * *

Shadow's eyes shot open as he sat bolt up right. He was in a cold sweat and his chest was heaving, his breathing rapid. He brought his hand up to his face and covered his right eye as he began to breathe deeply.

 _It's just a dream. It's not real._ Shadow told himself. _It's not real._ He repeated, just for good measure.

It didn't take long to calm himself down. His breathing became steady, although his body was still dripping with sweat and flushed with heat, but it would soon pass. He let out a sigh of relief and lowered his hand, and noticed that it was trembling. He clenched his fist tightly and grabbed hold of his wrist with his other hand and forced it to be still.

The orange glow of the breaking dawn was creeping in through the small round window close beside him, banishing the darkness that cloaked the small, dusty room. However, it could not quite reach some of the far corners, despite it's best efforts, leaving some areas untouched. The sunlight landed on Shadow's face, causing him to wince and blink rapidly when it momentarily shone in his eyes. Even though the harsh rays had caught him off guard and blinded him for a few seconds, the warmth of the sunlight on his fur was rather welcoming. He briefly closed his eyes and titled his head back, so that he could soak it in. However, it wasn't long before he opened his eyes again.

Shadow sat there for a moment, stiff and unmoving as he stared at the far wall. He just needed another minute to compose himself. Hopefully, the lingering feeling of unease about his dream would fade if given time. His eyes briefly scanned the room, admiring the way the early morning daylight shifted and changed, while the shadows made by discarded boxes and forgotten toys danced. It was almost as if he was starting to become lost in a trance. He quickly snapped out of it, and then began to stroke the ocean blue coloured blanket that was draped across his knees. Shadow allowed his fingers to glide along the surface, so that he could feel the soft texture. It had been knitted with care. He was thankful to have it for comfort during the night. He thought that it was important to appreciate the little things.

Shadow's ear twitched when the crackle of a radio caught his attention. He immediately glanced over at the old, battered, brick shaped communication radio that was positioned on the other side of the room, collecting dust. There was a faint noise hidden amongst the static that was coming out of the speakers. It sounded like a voice. It was faint, and the audio was so garbled that the words were beyond recognisable, but it was there. He heard it.

Shadow kicked off the blanket and scrambled towards the radio as quickly as possible, which was more like a crawl, as he wasn't fully awake yet. He felt like he hadn't slept at all. The tired, worn floorboards creaked underneath his weight as he went. The wooden planks let out a heavy groan but sighed when the pressure was lifted soon after. Shadow arrived at the radio and knelt in front of it, before snatching up the microphone. He held down the talk button with his thumb as he spoke into it. "Hello? Is someone there?" He asked.

The radio fell silent, with only a small amount of static coming out of the speakers at irregular intervals. Shadow fiddled with the dials, attempting to find the correct frequency. "Hello? If anyone can hear me, please respond. If you're in trouble then I can help." Shadow stated.

No answer. The crackling interference died, leaving him in silence. "Hello? Hello?" He called out, but it was all in vain. Whoever had managed to reach him for a brief, fleeting moment was gone. Shadow gritted his teeth and slammed his fist on top of the radio. The machine let out a fizz and then a pop after suffering a heavy hit. "Useless." He grumbled, dropping the microphone in frustration. It landed in his lap, and the spiral cord that was attached to it was now left hanging over his leg.

The radio would be more beneficial to him as a paper weight. He wasn't exactly sure what was wrong with it, his understanding of technology was adequate at best. It had been working relatively fine the last couple of days, but now it barely picked up anything. Shadow supposed he was disappointed because Rouge still hadn't called him yet. He had been hoping that if her communicator had been damaged or destroyed, she would find some way to contact him through this radio, that this was his one constant in all this madness, his solace. That she would find him, by some miracle, and they would be reunited. But that was just wishful thinking.

The chance of hearing from Rouge was slipping with every passing day. His hope was almost completely diminished.

At least he had managed to get in contact with a handful of survivors, when the radio had been functioning properly. Over the last four days, Shadow had received a number of distress signals, and had answered every single one. He had taken it upon himself to find these civilians and lead them to safety. When he wasn't spending every waking hour sitting in front of the radio, trying to find more survivors or sending out warnings to anyone that would listen, he would be out in the field, making runs into the city and helping the sick and the wounded.

It was something Shadow had set out to do after Sonic had been defeated, and he was certainly following through with the promise he had made to himself that day. He wanted to save as many lives as he could, no matter how long it took. It was what he needed to do. He owed it to himself, to Sonic, to Omega, and to so many others he hadn't been able to save. After GUN had been basically dismantled in the wake of the Eggman Empire, as one of the only remaining members that had avoided capture, Shadow needed to carry the torches of those that weren't so lucky.

His thoughts quickly returned to Rouge, which was to be expected when he had GUN on his mind. Shadow was running out of guesses as to where she could possibly be. For all he knew, she could be out there, lost in the chaos, alone, hurt and afraid, and he was powerless to do anything about it. Or worse, she could be rotting in a cold, dark prison cell after being viciously beaten. All he could really do was cling to the hope that his fears about her fate - that had manifested in his dreams - wouldn't become a reality. His subconscious mind clearly underestimated her, because Rouge was just as capable and strong as he was, she could protect herself. Shadow had lost track on the amount of times she had gotten him out of a sticky situation. Besides, Infinite couldn't have gotten to her, he had never even met her. Although, come to think of it, when Shadow ran into Infinite a month prior, Infinite had managed to create an almost perfect illusion of Rouge. It had sounded just like her, and not just with mimicking her voice, but also with the words she used, her general demeanour, the inflictions in her tone and just the way she spoke. For a while, Shadow had been convinced that it was her, until the cracks started to appear in the fabric of virtual reality. Did Infinite know how much Shadow valued Rouge? The mere idea that Infinite had managed to look into his thoughts, that he had seen his memories and the connection he had with Rouge filled Shadow with an overwhelming sense of dread. He clearly didn't understand the full extent of Infinite's power, which made the growing, aching pit in his stomach feel even worse. If Infinite knew how much he cared for Rouge, did that mean he would try to use her against him?

Shadow tried to shake off that awful thought as he went to pick up the microphone. But as soon as he grasped hold of it, a sharp, burning fiery sensation shot through his nerves and rushed up his arm, causing him to hiss in pain and alarm, as well as drop the microphone in the process. "What the...?" He muttered aloud, confused and bewildered. The palm of his right hand was throbbing, and he could feel the same sensation in his left hand. In fact, it felt like both of his entire lower arms were on fire and burning under the skin. Shadow stared down at his hand and began to open and close his fist, which caused another wave of discomfort. He hadn't even noticed the pain until he had done the measly task of operating the radio. It almost felt like... He had actually been hit by that strange energy ball Infinite had created.

Shadow shook his head. That was impossible. How much more ridiculous could he get? His dream had just felt so real... To the point where it had seeped into the waking world and he had convinced himself that he had actually gotten hurt. Belief can be a powerful thing.

He tried his best to ignore the pain - that now felt like thousands of tiny pin pricks - in his arms as he picked up the microphone for a third time and set it down on top of the radio. He glanced over at his makeshift bed, which was just a plump, green sleeping bag and an extra blanket, before his gaze fell upon the photo of Sonic and Tails that was propped up next to the circle shaped window. Shadow had removed it from the broken frame and kept it with him, mostly as a reminder, but he would also show it to whatever survivors he came across and ask them if they had seen Tails or 'the fox in the picture'. He didn't have much luck when it came to finding the two-tailed fox either. But if their paths ever were to cross again, Shadow wanted to give Tails the photo, in the hopes of coaxing out his old, sweet and innocent self which had been lost.

Shadow heard movement coming from downstairs. His ears perked up as listened to whoever it was shuffle across the floor. He then heard light, careful footsteps on the wooden ladder, before the hatch door was hoisted open. A couple of large rabbit ears was the first thing that popped up, followed by an all too familiar face.

"Vanilla, you're up." Shadow commented softly, speaking barely above a whisper. He thought he was the only one that would be awake at the crack of dawn. "I'm sorry, did I disturb you?" He asked concernedly. Perhaps the racket he had made earlier had woken her up.

Vanilla smiled faintly as she climbed up into the attic, carrying a white mug, that had hot steam coming off of it, and a bowl decorated with painted fruits, although he couldn't make out the contents. "No, you didn't. I can be a bit of an early bird when I want to be." She reassured him. "I had a sneaking suspicion that you might be awake so I brought you some coffee and canned carrots, but I put those in a bowl for you." She added, being mindful of the roof and ducking her head as she walked over to Shadow and handed him the bowl, before placing the coffee mug on one of the many boxes that littered her attic.

"Thank you." Shadow said gratefully, accepting the bowl of warm carrots and nodding with gratitude.

This is where he had been staying, ever since Eggman had taken over. Shadow had fully intended on making Tails' house his base of operations, and had only come to investigate Vanilla's house to see if she and Cream, along with their two pets chaos, had fled. His intention was to see if there was anything he could take, to put towards his cause. He didn't expect anyone to be there, but was pleasantly surprised when Vanilla opened the door to him after his persistent and ceaseless knocking, although she had been rather reluctant at the time. But even though she took a while to answer the door, she had welcomed him into her home without as much as a second thought, and the rest was history. So, with Rouge's absence, at least he wasn't completely alone. Despite the fact that Shadow could count the amount of times he had interacted with Cream on one hand, and could only recall speaking to Vanilla once or twice, their hospitality was incredible. It was almost like they were estranged family members, and yet it didn't even seem to matter, they were so kind and friendly and generous, he truly appreciated their company, even though he spent the majority of his time either up in the attic or outside, helping complete strangers. Even if they weren't in the middle of a crisis, Vanilla still probably would have let him stay. In return for letting him sleep under her roof, Shadow had offered to protect Vanilla and Cream from any harm that might come their way. Vanilla had gratefully taken him up on his offer, and allowed Shadow to fortify all of the windows and doors, as well as set up an amateur security system using some left over GUN equipment he had on hand. Acting as Vanilla and Cream's protector, as well as helping citizens evacuate the city was proving rather difficult to juggle, but he strived to pull his weight around the house. He didn't want Vanilla to regret her choice or regret putting her faith in him, not even for a second. Despite Shadow's concerns about not following through on his word, it felt good to come back to such loving and caring people after a long, exhausting day.

There was just one problem...

Shadow began to munch on the bowl of carrots. Vanilla leaned against a stack of boxes, that was only slightly taller than her, and brushed her fringe aside. Her brownish orange hair was messy and unkept, due to it being so early in the morning. "Have you gotten any new leads on where Sonic, Tails and Rouge might be?" She asked curiously.

And there it was, the inescapable problem that he was facing. Vanilla and Cream didn't know about Sonic's demise, and Shadow had neglected to tell them. He wanted to, more than anything, they deserved to know, he wanted to be honest with them, but if he did, then Vanilla would most likely want to know how it had happened. What would she think if he told her about Infinite and the fake Shadow? Would she even believe him if he came out with such a far fetched story? He wouldn't blame her if she didn't. He had a hard time believing it himself, and he had seen it with his own eyes. Not much was known about Sonic's death by the public, the only tangible evidence they had - if you could even call it that - was the announcement Eggman had made. It was common to run into survivors that didn't know about Shadow's apparent involvement in Sonic's murder, some of them even thought that Eggman was lying, and that Sonic was still alive. But it could not last. Shadow knew it wouldn't be long before rumours spread like wild fire. Soon, he'd be public enemy number one. He may as well make the most of what little time he had left, where he was still deemed as being innocent in all of this by a significant few. This may have been selfish of him, to deny Vanilla and Cream, as well as countless others, of the knowledge they seeked, for giving them false hope, for not allowing them to mourn. He hated himself for lying, for pleading ignorance. Shadow had a mountain of guilt weighing heavily on him, for failing to reach Sonic in time before he was struck down, for losing Tails, for abandoning his fellow GUN agents and for not telling Vanilla and Cream the truth. But it was useless at this point, he had kept it a secret for too long, his window of opportunity had flown away, so he would be condemned whether he told them or not. All he could do now was wait for the inevitable, where the bond and trust he had built with Vanilla and Cream would be completely destroyed. He hoped that day was far off, or better yet, would never arrive.

Shadow swallowed hard. "I'm afraid not. But I'm not giving up, not yet. There has to be someone out there that knows something." He stated. Vanilla had asked him about those three specifically because that's who she believed he was actively searching for. She wasn't wrong about Tails and Rouge, but Sonic... Eggman had taken his body for his own malicious purposes. As much as he would like to get Sonic back, so that he could be given a proper burial, he'd rather focus on finding the living first.

"If you keep looking then I'm sure you'll find them eventually." Vanilla responded. "Or maybe we'll get lucky, and they'll find us."

"That's a nice thought." Shadow muttered, as he nibbled on another small carrot.

"Have you spoken to anyone on the radio today?" She then asked, shifting her gaze over to the aforementioned radio. The only other thing that Shadow had taken from Tails' house. It had been stored in Tails' underground lab, hidden under a white sheet, and at the time, Shadow just knew that he was going to need it.

"I heard someone earlier, but I lost the signal." Shadow replied, putting a carrot in his mouth and chewing on it as he spoke. "I'm starting to think that Eggman might be blocking transmissions or causing some sort of interference. It would explain why this has stopped working, and why I can't contact Rouge, and why you can't call any of the others. Then again, I could be wrong. But he's definitely trying to put us all in the dark. If we can't relay information to one another, then it will cause a state of panic."

Vanilla sighed "As if we weren't already panicked enough."

Well, Eggman wouldn't want those he was trying to enslave to be calm and thinking rationally now, would he?

Shadow finished eating the last of the carrots and put the bowl to one side. Wait, why was he having canned carrots for breakfast? And why was he only questioning this now? Were they burning through Vanilla's food supply quicker than he originally thought? Perhaps there were limited options at this point. He decided to avoid asking her about it, as she was already dealing with enough stress. Instead, he leaned forwards and picked up the white mug. He stared at the swirling, steamy, dark brown liquid for a few seconds before he began drinking the coffee with small, careful sips, as to not burn his lip.

"I hope the coffee is alright, I wasn't exactly sure how you liked it." Vanilla piped up again.

Shadow didn't drink coffee very often, so he didn't exactly know how he liked it either. However, he had gotten into the habit of eating the coffee beans straight out of the canister. Rouge had caught him a number of times, but never said anything, just stared. She eventually explained to him that eating coffee beans wasn't normal, and that was not what they were for, but by then his habit was set in stone and almost impossible to break. But he didn't really care. Besides, they were delicious, and crunchy.

Although drinking it was fine too, he supposed. "It's good, Vanilla, don't worry. It doesn't have to be perfect or to my liking, as long as it wakes me up and gives me enough energy for the busy day ahead, then it's fine." Shadow assured her. He wasn't sure why she was making such a fuss about a bit of coffee. Perhaps it was just her motherly instincts. Or worrying over small, insignificant things was her way of coping, so that the much larger, horrible, soul crushing things going on around them wouldn't over cloud her mind.

As Shadow took another sip of the coffee, he began to wonder why he had thought of his stupid coffee bean habit. It was probably down to the fact that he deeply missed Rouge, and recalling on events and moments he had shared with her were rather comforting. It almost made him feel like she was actually here with him. Although, he found it a tad ridiculous that the world as he knew it had ended only a short few days ago, and he was already starting to miss simpler times, as well as becoming somewhat sentimental about his experiences. It was like he had already given up. He longed to go back to the days where he was so naive, and was still learning about the world around him. But he'd especially like to go back to the times when Rouge would call him a 'goofball', amongst other things.

The caffeine was starting to give Shadow a bit of a buzz now. He lowered the mug and tapped the side of it in a rheumatic pattern for a moment before catching Vanilla's eye. "So... How is Cream doing?" He questioned. Although he was staying under the same roof as the six year old rabbit, he hadn't spoken to her much aside from exchanged greetings whenever he passed by. But this was to be expected, as he barely ventured anywhere else in the house, plus he wasn't sure how to approach Cream, or what to even talk to her about.

"She's such a remarkable little girl, she's been so incredibly brave. Of course, there have been times where she's been scared but... she's more worried about what's going to happen to me, Cheese and Chocola, rather than herself. She misses Amy and Blaze, and everyone else, she wants to know that they're safe." Vanilla told him.

Shadow took a swig of the coffee and then placed the mug on the floor. "Tell Cream that I'm doing everything I can in order to find them. I'm hoping that once I figure out where Tails and Rouge are, the others won't be too far away."

Vanilla gave him the ghost of a smile and laughed half-heartedly "They're all hiding together, waiting for us to find them." She seemed to be fond of that idea as she pondered over it, perhaps picturing their group of friends in her head. "You forgot about Sonic, though." She then commented.

Shadow almost frowned after such a slip up, but quickly tried to disguise his reaction by picking the coffee mug back up and partly hiding his face behind it. He had forgotten to mention Sonic a number of times already. He was surprised that Vanilla hadn't grown suspicious of him at this point. "Right, and Sonic, of course." He corrected himself. It felt so rotten and vile to speak of Sonic as if he was alive, but Shadow had no one else to blame but himself for landing him in this situation. He was just going to have to deal with it.

Vanilla glossed over Shadow's mistake as she continued to speak. "You could always tell Cream what you're trying to do for her, and for me." She suggested. "I'm sure she would love to hear it from you. It would make her so happy. Plus, she really admires you."

Cream admired him? What could he have done to deserve that?

"I'm no good with her. Not like you." Shadow replied. In actuality, he wanted to avoid Cream as much as possible. The undying hope that she had about Sonic and the others coming to rescue them was more than he could bear.

Vanilla chuckled "You haven't even tried. Besides, I think you can be good with her, you just don't trust yourself enough."

Shadow didn't respond. There was nothing more to be said.

Vanilla walked over, bowing her head once again as she went, and picked up the bowl Shadow had left on the floor, whilst he finished off his coffee. As she began to carry it away, to presumably head back down stairs and put it in the kitchen, she stopped and looked over her shoulder. With her hands trembling, Vanilla carefully placed the bowl on top of a small stack of boxes and slowly lifted her head. Wisps of brownish orange hair masked her eyes, but she brushed the locks out of the way, whilst biting her lower lip as a worrisome expression crossed her face. "What happens when we run out of food?" She asked, an overwhelming sense of fear in her soft brown eyes. "We have maybe a weeks' worth left. How will I support you? How will I take care of Cream? How will any of us survive?"

"It won't come to that." Shadow stated calmly. "We'll be long gone before then. I'm still working on a better solution, but right now, the worse case scenario is that I won't be able to find the others before we use up the last of our food supply. If that becomes a reality, then my backup plan is to take you and Cream to a military outpost that is stationed a few miles from the city in an abandoned town. Their forces are stretched very thin, as it's being organised by what's left of the army, and with GUN not there to oversee everything the execution is a little sloppy, but they are doing all they can to provide survivors with food, medicine and fresh clothes. There are some trucks that are driven by military personnel that transport survivors from the outpost to a secure location. Where this secure location is, I do not know, but it should be safe there. The only problem is, the military are completely swamped, there are so many survivors and not enough seats on the trucks to go around, so you could be waiting for a while, and there's no guarantee that there would be a place open for you and Cream and your chaos."

It was also unlikely that he would be able to go with them. Although he hadn't encountered any of the soldiers working in the relief effort, Shadow had been meticulously avoiding them, because if anyone knew about Sonic's demise and how it had happened, it would be them. It was likely that he would be shot on sight. There had to be some other options that didn't involve parting ways with Vanilla and Cream. He still needed to protect them, he wanted to be there for them, even if they did end up in good, capable hands. But maybe it was for the best. He didn't want to face Vanilla when she found out he had been lying to her the moment he arrived on her doorstep.

"How do you know all this?" Vanilla questioned.

"I've overheard them talking on the radio. It's been tapping into their conversations occasionally, allowing me to gather bits of information, which I've been writing down." Shadow explained, quickly showing her the notepad he had on hand, which had various notes jotted down on the lined paper. He had also escorted the majority of the survivors he had helped to evacuate the city to the outpost, but he hadn't ventured any further. "Although it doesn't pick up much now." He added.

Vanilla looked away "If you can't find the others... Then I would go with you to that military outpost, for Cream's safety alone."

"I only mentioned the military outpost as a last resort. Like I said, I'm still working on some other options." Shadow reiterated. "But I can promise you one thing, Vanilla-"

She looked back at him again, meeting eyes with his intense gaze "-We're not going to starve. I won't let that happen."

Vanilla let out a strangled gasp, almost as if she had been holding her breath, before she sighed deeply. Her exhale was shaky and wavered off. "Thank you, Shadow." She said gratefully. "I know you'll continue to do right by us."

Shadow nodded briefly "I did promise you, didn't I? I don't make promises that I can't keep."

Vanilla fell silent for a moment as she began to run her fingers through her long hair. "One more thing... Do you plan on heading out to the city today?"

Shadow gave her a inquisitive look before answering. "I do. There might still be some civilians trapped. I can't sit idly by while they're in danger." He stated. "Why do you ask?"

"I just..." She trailed off. "It doesn't matter, forget I said anything."

"No, tell me, what is it?" He pried.

Vanilla neatly folded her hands together and let them reside at her waist. "I was wondering if you would stay here today. I know you want to help people, and I don't resent you for that, in fact I admire you a great deal for all you've done these passed few days. It's just... I'm scared, Shadow, scared of what might happen to me and Cream when you're gone. I feel so... In the dark, I don't know what's going on, and I'm powerless to do anything about. And I feel like you're not telling me everything that you know, but I don't blame you for that, there are probably some things that you don't want to share with me, for my own sake. I keep thinking that any minute now, a group of robots is going to barge through that front door and cart us away. It wouldn't be hard. When you leave, I sit and wait for you to return, fearing that this might be the day where you don't come back."

"I'll always come back." Shadow told her, taking on a gentle and softer tone.

Vanilla shook her head. "You don't know that for sure."

"Maybe not. But no matter how many scrapes I get into, I'll always try to." He stated. He then hesitated for a moment as he pondered over what his next few words should be. "If I don't receive any distress signals on the radio today, then I'll stay. But I'll have to make up for lost time tomorrow."

"No, Shadow, you don't have to do that, really." Vanilla insisted. "The people out there, they need your help, and I don't want to get in your way."

Shadow silently got up off the floor and crossed the attic, moving towards Vanilla. He stopped in front of her, and took hold her hands, cupping his around her own, and giving them a gentle, reassuring pat. He then looked up, and met her gaze, as she was much taller than him. Then again, maybe he was just short, which had become progressively more apparent over the years. "Vanilla, I want to help you just as much as I want to help them. If you're scared, if you don't feel safe, then I haven't been doing my job. And if my presence here makes you feel a little bit safer, then I'll be here, whenever you need me."

Vanilla seemed touched by his words as she gave him the biggest, most genuine and heartfelt smile, something he hadn't seen from her in days. Shadow let go of Vanilla's hands and took a step back. He didn't want to linger for long. He wasn't used to showing his support through touch - in fact he hardly ever put himself in someone else's personal space - but he felt that Vanilla needed that kind of interaction, in order to fully comfort her. "Besides, I can try to figure out how to fix the radio during my free time. I might not be able to, but it's worth a shot." He added, gesturing in the radio's general direction with a wave of his hand.

"Why don't you bring it downstairs? Cream and I could keep you company while you work on it." Vanilla suggested.

Shadow took a few seconds to think about it. He glanced around at the attic and then looked over at the hatch door. It would be nice to get a change of scenery, plus there was a musty smell that he couldn't seem to ignore, and the attic dust often tickled his nose. He turned back to Vanilla and nodded. "I think I will." Shadow agreed.

Vanilla took Shadow's empty bowl and mug out of the attic and put them in the kitchen before returning and helping Shadow cautiously carry the radio down the ladder connecting the first floor to the attic. Shadow thought he could manage on his own, at least at first, but the combination of the heavy radio and the steep, uneven ladder spelled trouble. If he dropped it, then it would definitely be broken at that point, so he embraced Vanilla's help, and passed the radio to her when he was halfway down. She carried it the rest of the way for him, as the two headed downstairs to the ground floor. They arrived in the hallway, and Shadow briefly glanced at the front door, which was bordered up with several planks of woods. They immediately entered the kitchen from there, where Cream was waiting. The six year old rabbit was sitting at the round, finely carved wooden table, nestled comfortably on the padded chair as she drew on a piece of paper with a red crayon. She had several sheets of white paper strewn over the kitchen table, along with a big, colourful box of crayons that contained a wide range to choose from. Cream was joined by Cheese and Chocola, who seemed to be admiring her artwork.

Shadow glanced over at the kitchen windows, which were also bordered up with planks of wood. It was doubtful that barricading all the windows and doors would stop a robot army from infiltrating, but it was worth taking the safety precaution to hopefully buy them some time to escape if the event ever occurred. Sunlight was streaming in through the gaps in the barricade, giving the room a natural golden glow. He then turned his attention back to Cream as he approached her, and scanned a couple of her drawings. There was one of Vanilla, Cheese, Chocola, Amy, Blaze, and... Sonic.

The overuse of the blue crayon to illustrate his fur and quills made him stand out in the sea of drawings and vastly different colours. Shadow went to pick it up but hesitated, before allowing his arm to fall by his side. Vanilla walked over to the kitchen counter and dumped the radio on there for the time being. She huffed and rubbed her hands together, a pained expression crossing her face. The radio must have put a lot of strain on her arms. Shadow would remind himself to offer to carry the radio back upstairs later.

"Hello Cream." He greeted the young rabbit.

"Hi Mr Shadow." She responded, not looking up from her current drawing. "Aren't you going out to the city today?"

"No, I'm staying here and helping your mum take care of you." He replied. "I didn't expect to see you up so early, though." He commented. _Like mother, like daughter?_ He wondered.

Cream looked up at him sleepily with big, tired brown eyes, which she began to rub. She then yawned, putting her hand to her mouth as she did so. "I couldn't sleep." She told him through her yawn.

"How come?" He asked.

"We heard explosions. There were bombs going off all through the night. They were so loud... We could barely hear ourselves think. Cream and I weren't able to get any rest." Vanilla explained for her daughter. "You must have heard them too, right? I thought that was why you were already awake when I came to see you."

"No, I slept through the whole thing." Shadow replied. "Although, it feels like I haven't slept at all." He admitted.

"What do you mean by that?" Vanilla questioned.

"Well, I slept for at least five or six hours, but when I woke up, I felt just as tired as when I went to bed." He explained. "And... I had a rather disturbing dream."

"What was it about?" She asked, her tone thick with a mixture of concern and mild curiosity.

Shadow rubbed his eye. "I... don't remember. It's all just a hazy blur. I could picture it so vividly when I woke up, but now it's sort of... faded"

Why couldn't he remember?

"Dreams can often feel so real when you're asleep, but there's always some sort of strangeness that you only notice once you wake up." Vanilla muttered. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, I can't even remember half of the dreams I've had."

Vanilla's words echoed and grew distant as Shadow thought long and hard, racking his brain, trying to find any trace of his dream. There were brief flickers, images of his nightmare flashing inside of his head and in front of his eyes. He knew that Infinite had been in it, but he couldn't remember what that masked freak had said. Wait... Rouge had been there too... Infinite had done something to her, and then he attacked Shadow, he-

"Aah!" Shadow cried out in alarm as a searing pain rushed through his hand, the one he had been using to rub his eye mere seconds earlier. He sucked in air through gritted teeth as he curled his fingers and stared at his palm. It was a similar sort of pain to that of which he had felt not long after he woke up. It just wasn't as intense as before, but the focus centre seemed to be his hand.

"What's wrong, Mr Shadow?" Cream spoke up, startled by his sudden outburst.

"Shadow, are you alright?" Vanilla quizzed worriedly.

"I'm fine... My hand is just a little sore, that's all." He stated calmly.

"Here, why don't you sit down, and I'll take a look at it?" Vanilla suggested.

Shadow's first thought was to refuse, but he doubted that Vanilla would let him off the hook so easily. "Alright... But it's probably nothing."

"Cream, honey, could you please take all your crayons and lovely pictures into the living room? Mr Shadow and I need the space to check on his hand and fix the broken radio." Vanilla politely requested.

Cream nodded. "Okay, Mama." She agreed, hopping off the chair and gathering up her messy pile of drawings, loose pieces of blank paper, and colourful crayons. "I hope your hand is alright, Mr Shadow." She said, before carrying her things over to the living room, which was only a short walk away, as it was joined up to the kitchen area with not even a wall between.

Shadow sat down in Cream's chair, as it was the only one already pulled out, and began to remove his glove, but left his inhibitor ring fastened to his wrist. Once his hand was free, and Vanilla had washed her hands under the flowing water of the sink tap, she came to his aid and started to check it over. She flipped his hand over a couple of times, looking for any signs of damage. "Does this hurt?" She asked, putting light pressure on his palm using two of her fingers.

"A little. But it's not so bad now. It was almost like a short, quick burst of pain before."

"There are no bruises or cuts..." She murmured. "Does this hurt?" She asked again, putting pressure on his wrist.

Shadow shook his head.

"It's not a sprain either..." She muttered. "I'm sorry, Shadow, but I can't figure out what's wrong with it. Maybe you just put it under too much strain when carrying that radio or maybe you bashed your arm on the floor during the night. It could even be cramp."

"Maybe..." He muttered. _Maybe not._ It was strange that the pain only resurfaced when he thought about his dream. Could they...? _No, they couldn't possibly be connected._

"Can I get you anything for it? There's a medicine cabinet in the bathroom-" Vanilla began.

"No, it's alright, I'll manage, but thank you. I'd like to start fixing the radio, to help take my mind off it." Shadow interrupted her. He wanted to avoid thinking about it, as he didn't want this insignificant problem to throw a spanner into the works of his plan for today.

"Alright, if you're sure." She replied, although she sounded uneasy.

"I am." He stated firmly. There was no point making a fuss over nothing.

Shadow quickly slipped his glove back on as Vanilla brought the radio over and set it down in front of him. "So, how are we going to do this?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I'm not sure where I should even start." Shadow answered with a small shrug.

Vanilla edged closer and examined the radio further. "Hmm. I'm not very handy when it comes to technology, but I could take a crack at it." She offered. "I managed to fix a radio once. Granted, that one only played music, but they must be at least somewhat similar."

"You really think you could get it working again?" Shadow asked.

"I think so. If you give me just a few minutes to look it over, I might be able to find the problem."

Shadow nodded in agreement. "Alright. In the meantime, I'll sit here and pitch in if need be."

"Why don't you go sit with Cream instead?" She suggested.

Shadow glanced over at the young rabbit, who was too invested in her drawings to hear her name being mentioned. "I don't know about that." He said with uncertainty.

"Just for a few minutes, to keep her company while she draws. I'm sure she would love that. You never know, you might enjoy it too." Vanilla replied. "You don't even have to talk to her that much, since she's concentrating. And if anything changes, I'll let you know."

Shadow sighed. "Fine, you've twisted my arm."

He knew what she was doing, he could figure it out from a mile away. Vanilla was trying to cheer him up, since she could most likely tell that he missed Rouge. And in her eyes, the best way to lift his spirits was to spark a conversation between him and Cream, who was surprisingly cheerful despite the much more pressing matters that were staring them in the face. But like everyone else, Cream was scared, but her naivety and childish understanding allowed her to block it out and live in a bubble of blissful ignorance. He doubted that Cream would be able to make him feel any better, but she was a sweet kid, and it wouldn't hurt to try. He'd play along.

Shadow got up off the chair, allowing Vanilla to sit down and set to work. He crossed over from the kitchen to the living room, and approached Cream, as well as her pet chaos. The lights were off in the living room, just like the rest of the house, in order to avoid attracting any unwanted attention from outside. Sunlight had managed to seep in through the small cracks in the bordered up windows and the partly open rose red curtains. Cream was bathed in this light, and so was the small, dust covered television in the corner and a comfy, brown chair that was positioned across from the television, with a knitted blanket drapped across it. Shadow watched the dust particles floating through the shafts of light before sitting down - with his legs tucked under him - on the carpet beside Cream, who was sprawled across the floor with her neatly folded legs in the air.

He tried to take a peek at what she was currently drawing, but she blocked his view with her arm as she continued scribbling. Shadow raised an eyebrow, before leaning closer, only for Cream to pull back and conceal the drawing more. She kept a watchful eye on him as she carried on. Shadow looked up at Cheese and Chocola, who were fluttering just above Cream using their tiny wings. The two chaos shook their heads at him, almost as if to say 'Don't ruin the surprise!' but what actually came out of their mouths was their usual soft, chirpy singing.

Admitting defeat, Shadow turned his head away so that Cream could finish her picture. After a few minutes of staring at the far wall, he looked down at the lemon yellow carpet, and ran his fingers across the finely textured surface. As he began to grip the carpet fibres and tug at them out of boredom, Cream managed to catch his attention. "Look Mr Shadow, I drew you!" She said gleefully, a bright, beaming toothy smile on her face whilst she proudly held up the picture.

Shadow turned back to look at her, only to be baffled by what he saw. He wasn't left speechless very often... Granted, he never spoke unless he was included in a conversation or felt like he needed to say something. It was a rather crude drawing, but he hadn't been expecting a masterpiece. Most of her drawings were messy lines and squiggles, but they were all distinct and you could vaguely tell who it was. Cream had managed to at least make him recognisable, she had gotten down his black fur and red markings, white chest fur, as well as the yellow inhibitor rings around his wrists. Although, she had missed out his right eye, which was odd, as she had doodled him facing forwards. She hadn't made him a cyclops, with one eye in the middle of his face, it was just where his right eye should be, was just filled in with black crayon. Like a gaping, empty void. At first, he thought she might have made a mistake and scribbled over it, but on paper you could often see an impression of what had once been there, and from closer inspection it seemed like she didn't even try. Maybe she had just forgotten to add it, or it was part of her style, whatever that may be. He wouldn't question her on it. Nevertheless, he was flattered that she would want to draw him in the first place.

Shadow glanced at Cheese and Chocola, who were literally singing her praises. He looked back at the drawing, which Cream was still holding up and waiting patiently for him to critique her, whether it was positive or negative. He decided against saying what he really thought, as he didn't want to shoot her down or hurt her feelings. "Whoa, Cream, that's great. You really captured my likeness. It's like looking into a mirror."

"Aw, thank you, Mr Shadow. I'm glad you like it." Cream replied, blushing at his compliment as she set the picture down on the huge pile with the others. "Who should I draw next?" She then asked, talking to him as well as herself, before holding a crayon up to her chin as she pondered over her decision.

"How about Rouge?" Shadow suggested.

"Good idea, Mr Shadow! I'll get right to it." Cream stated, picking up a blank piece of paper, which was her new canvas. "But how should I draw her?" She questioned.

"Why don't you put her in a fighting stance?"

"What kind of fighting stance?"

"I don't know... Something that just screams... Cool." Shadow answered. Was the word 'cool' in Cream's vocabulary? She must have heard Sonic use it over a dozen times. Shadow certainly had. Although, that word didn't sound right, coming from his mouth, it felt unnatural and forced. He wouldn't use it again.

"Ok." Cream agreed passively with a tiny shrug. "Would you like to draw something too, Mr Shadow?" She asked before she got to work.

"I don't think so, Cream. I don't even know how to draw, so I wouldn't be very good at it."

"You don't have to be good at it, Mr Shadow. All you need to do is have fun. Picture anything you want in your head, and then try to put it on paper. That's what I do." Cream explained. "Here, you can have some of my spare paper, there's plenty to go around, and you can share my crayons with me."

Before he could protest any further, three pieces of paper and a box of crayons were thrusted upon him. Shadow stared down at the thin stack of paper in mild dismay. "Go on, give it a try!" Cream encouraged him, adoring her happy, wistful smile.

"Fine." Shadow sighed, picking up a black crayon. There was no winning with her or Vanilla, it seemed. _Let's see how disastrous this turns out._

Shadow wondered about who he should draw. If Cream was drawing Rouge, then maybe he could... No, he couldn't draw Omega. How about someone he hated...?

That's when he had his light bulb moment. He was about to get started by putting pen - or crayon rather - to paper, when he realised that he had no idea where to begin. "Do you have any pointers?"

"When I draw, the first thing I do is start with the head, by making a circle." Cream told him, demonstrating on the piece of paper she had in front of her. "See?"

Shadow nodded, taking her advice on board.

"Then I work my way down, doing the body, with an oval shape, then the arms and the legs, which are just lines. Then I add some other stuff, like wings or a tail." She explained. "Unless it's Tails, then they'll be two of the last one." She added, a giggle escaping her lips. "Then you draw the eyes, ears, mouth and nose, and colour it all in. It's that simple!"

 _Easy for you to say. You don't even know how bad your drawings actually are._

Well, when it came to drawing, she certainly had a good process, just poor execution. But what could you expect from a girl her age. He commended her effort.

Shadow felt a little more confident in his ability and set to work, with Cream following suit. After a few minutes of silence and concentration, Cream lifted up her drawing and announced that she was finished with a "Ta-da!"

Meanwhile, Shadow was just finishing off. "What do you think, Mr Shadow?"

He glanced up from his own drawing, and put down the yellow crayon he had been using. "I like it." He stated. "You did a good job on her boots, and her wings."

Cream had drawn Rouge in mid kick, although it wasn't obvious on who she was supposed to be fighting. Shadow would soon fix that. It was the same as Cream's other drawings, crude and messy, but he could still tell who it was, as she managed to at least get down some defining features. "Thanks. I worked real hard on it." Cream said gratefully, whilst putting the piece of paper back on the floor. "Are you nearly done, Mr Shadow?"

"Thereabouts." He replied, holding up his picture.

"Wow! That's really good, Mr Shadow!" Cream cried. "Are you sure you haven't drawn anything before?" She quizzed.

"Never." He stated simply.

"Who is that, anyway?" She questioned.

Shadow put the picture down and gave it a hard stare. The drawing was a rough sketch of Infinite, using mostly black crayon to illustrate the dark fur that covered his body. The rare white patches of fur had been left untouched, such as the rib cage like markings on his torso and long flowing dreadlocks. The strange jewel fused to his chest stood out, coloured in using a dark, vibrant red, giving it a bright, glowing effect, like it was pulsing with energy and would leap off the paper. Infinite's left eye was coloured in using yellow, showing off his piercing gaze, while the other side of his dull grey coloured mask was blackened out, making his right eye impossible to see. It was a decent drawing, for his first attempt, since his skill level wasn't that high. Cream was just easily impressed.

"That is Doctor Eggman's right hand man." He stated.

"So... He's a bad guy?"

"Yes."

"Then... why did you draw him?" Cream questioned, cocking her head at him.

"So I could do this." Shadow answered, sliding the picture across the carpet and joining it up with Cream's drawing of Rouge. "Now it looks like Rouge is going to kick his butt, and he won't even know what hit him."

'Butt' didn't sound right coming from his mouth either. Maybe he should stop trying to talk down to Cream and just speak to her as a little adult.

Cream giggled. "I bet she could take him on, no problem. Miss Rouge is so tough."

Shadow nodded in agreement "She definitely is."

"I have some sticky tape, so we can put these two together."

The young rabbit proceeded to get her small tape dispenser out and used it to seal the gap between the two separate pieces to make one big piece of artwork. The two glanced at one another and then looked upon their creation with their heads held high and a burning sense of pride.

"Let's sign it." She suggested, picking up a orange crayon and writing her name on her side of the artwork.

Shadow did the same, picking up a red crayon and jotting down his name just under Infinite's foot. He then looked over at Cream, she seemed to be rather pleased with his, as well as her own hard work, judging by her bright beaming smile. How did she manage to look and act so happy? That question had been on his mind for a number of days. Maybe he should ask. It wouldn't do her any harm.

"Can I ask you something, Cream?" Shadow requested.

"Sure, Mr Shadow, what is it?"

"How do you manage to stay so positive and chipper in such rough and dark times? You must have some inkling of a clue on what's going on outside of your home. Doesn't it bother you?" He questioned. "Anyone else your age would be scared beyond belief and constantly crying their eyes out. Aren't you worried that we might be the only ones left?"

Now he was just projecting. That last part was one of his own fears. The thought that all of their friends were gone was haunting. But the most terrifying thing of all, was that it made sense, it was a logical conclusion, and certainly wasn't outside of the realm of possibility. It would explain why he couldn't reach out to any of them. And that's what scared him the most.

Cream grabbed hold of her large floppy ears and squeezed them tightly, stretching them as far as they would go whilst chewing on her lower lip. She avoided making eye contact, and from her body language alone, it looked like she felt as if she was being shunned for actions. Alternatively, she could just be embarrassed. "It's a secret." She whispered shyly.

"Oh, I see." Shadow murmured in acknowledgment. He shuffled a little closer to Cream, and slouched forwards, lowering his head slightly so that he was level with her. "Well... I don't like to brag but I'm very good at keeping secrets. So how about you tell me your secret, and I'll share one of mine with you? Does that sound fair?"

Cream hesitated, but after a few seconds she stopped tugging on her ears and nodded. "Yes, that seems fair." She agreed. "To tell you the truth, I am a little scared, about what might happen to mama, and Cheese, and Chocola if those big, bad robots show up. I also worry about what might happen to you when you're not here. But when it comes to the others, like Miss Amy or Miss Blaze, I try not to worry. Instead, I draw them, to keep them in my thoughts, as well as in my heart. That way, they'll never leave me. And every night, before I go to bed, I make a wish - a wish that will send them good luck. I like to think that all of my wishes will lead them to us, or that it will guide you to them. That's all I want, for us to all be together again, like one big family. And so far, I think it's been working, because every time you've gone away, I've always wished for you to return safely - and you have! That means my other wishes are going to come true!" Cream shared with him. She paused for a moment and lowered her head, a wave of embarrassment washing over her face before it was blocked from view by her ears, which drooped in front of it. "I know it sounds stupid but... I just want to believe that I'm helping in some way."

"Hey, it's not stupid." Shadow assured her. "If drawing these pictures helps to keep your friends with you, no matter where they are in the world, and if making wishes feels meaningful to you, then you need to hold onto that belief, and never let go. Because that's when Eggman truly wins - when you give up on what you believe in. He can only take away such strong positivity if you let him." He advised.

Cream made eye contact and gave him a bright, beaming smile. "I will. I'll never stop making wishes, and I'll never stop believing in them either." She stated strongly.

"Good." Shadow responded, nodding approvingly.

"So what's your secret, Mr Shadow?" Cream asked, turning their attention to his end of the bargain.

That's when it occurred to Shadow that he hadn't come up with a secret to share with her. He had many secrets, some of which he had swore to never tell another living soul about. What could he possibly tell Cream that wouldn't lead to immediate damnation? What could he trust her with? He needed to come up with something, as he couldn't backtrack now, not after she trusted him with her own secret.

After contemplating his limited options and studying the awful metaphorical hand he had dealt himself with, he finally came up with a solution. The secret he was about to share with her was true, as he didn't want to make one up on the spot and then be accused of being disingenuous. At least this secret was the least damning, but also the most heartfelt, out of them all.

"You have to promise you won't tell anyone about this." Shadow warned.

"Your secret is safe with me, Mr Shadow, I promise." She swore, placing her hand on her heart.

Shadow sighed. "Do you remember what happened at Sonic's most recent birthday party?"

Cream nodded. "Yes. That was when Eggman was using that monster to eat all of time and space!"

"Well, after Sonic defeated Eggman and the 'monster', and we were all sent back to the party, he came over to me and tried to strike up a conversation. And what he said towards the end... I didn't think much of it at the time, I just thought he was joking around, but now... It resonates with me."

"What did he say?" Cream asked, leaning closer with a clear sense of intrigue.

"He said that I was his hero. But I didn't even thank him, I just shot him down, like what he said meant nothing to me, like I didn't care. I thought he was trying to be funny, that he wanted to get a reaction out of me. I convinced myself that he must have been lying, that I wasn't good enough to be anyone's hero, let alone his. Only now, do I realise that he was being completely genuine. He was trying to be kind and friendly, he wanted to reminisce with me on his birthday, the one day where I should have been just a little bit nicer to him, but I barely acknowledged him. I remember thinking that I just wanted him to go away and leave me alone. I..." Shadow hesitated and shifted his gaze away from Cream. He couldn't look at her for this next part. "If I could go back to that precise moment, I'd like to tell him that... He was my hero."

Sonic still was his hero, even in death. He always would be.

"You still have a chance. You should tell Sonic that the next time you see him. It would make him so happy to hear that from you." Cream responded.

"I don't think we will be hearing from Sonic for a long time, Cream." Shadow told her, cautiously hinting at the fact that Sonic was never coming back, but not making it too obvious at the same time.

"Don't be silly, Sonic will find and rescue us, I know he will. It's what he does best. No matter when or where, Sonic will always be there to save the day and help those in need."

 _Not this time._

Shadow could feel his throat closing up, as the overwhelming sense of guilt he had tried to bury was starting to bubble to the surface. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. He had already made too many slip ups; forgetting to mention Sonic's name, spoken about him like he was no longer here... How much longer would it take for him to eventually give it all away or to completely crack?

Maybe... Maybe now was the right time to tell them about what had happened to Sonic, or at least he could try to break it to Cream as gently as possible. Vanilla would be next, unless Cream went running to her as soon as she got the chance. He wasn't sure how he was going to deal with that scenario. There was never going to truly be a right time to do this... But now was as good a time as any.

"Listen, Cream, there's one more secret I want to share with you. This... is something I should have told you and your mum from the very beginning, and before I tell you, I just want you to know that I'm incredibly sorry for lying and keeping this from you. There's no easy way to say this, but the reason I said we won't be hearing from Sonic for a long time is, well... It's because-"

"Shadow, there's someone on the radio!" Vanilla shouted, interrupting him.

Shadow's eyes widened. He shared a quick glance with Cream before he shot up off the carpet and dashed over to the kitchen. His confession would have to wait. Sure enough, there was a voice coming out of the speaker as clear as day. Whoever it was sounded young and masculine.

"How did you get it working?" He questioned.

"I don't know, I was just fiddling with the wiring when I heard a voice." Vanilla replied. "It's sounds like they're in trouble."

Shadow turned his attention to the distress call. "Can anyone hear me? Is anybody out there? We need help! Please, someone- anyone! Answer me!"

"Thank you, Vanilla, I'll take it from here." Shadow declared, scooping up the microphone and holding down the talk button with his thumb. "I can hear you. Who is this?" He asked the survivor.

"Oh thank goodness! I was starting to think that I'd never be able to reach anyone." The survivor breathed a sigh of relief, although he still sounded rather panicked. "Oh, and my name? It's- it's Monty."

"Hello, Monty, I'm Shadow. What is your situation?"

"We're trapped in the hospital, we came in here looking for medical supplies from the pharmacy... A couple of members from our group are very sick. We managed to get what we needed, but when we tried to leave, we were attacked by a group of Eggman robots, they cornered us in here, and now they're coming for us!" He cried, his words were rushed, while his voice was trembling with fear. "And they have their leader with them!"

"Leader?" Shadow questioned, giving Vanilla a confused look, which she mirrored.

"Yes! He brought the robots right on top of us and chased us back inside the hospital."

"Where is their 'leader' now?" Shadow asked.

"I don't know! He retreated, I think, and sent the robots in after us to do his dirty work. But he could come back at any second! Please, you have to hurry!"

"Slow down, alright? Now is not the time to panic. Take deep breaths. Everything is going to be fine."

"Okay, okay, sorry I- I'm just a little scared." Monty admitted. 'A little' was an understatement.

"Don't be." Shadow told him. He listened to the stranger take some deep, cleansing breaths before continuing. "Now, how many of you are there?"

"There's seven of us. Three adults, one baby, one child, two elders. We really need your help..."

"Alright, so what hospital are you in and where exactly are you all right now?"

"The hospital we're in is just a few blocks away from the Red Gate Bridge. It's a really tall building, about thirteen storeys high, you can't miss it." The survivor explained. "We're hiding on the tenth floor. We tried to make it up to the roof, to maybe find a fire escape, but the stairway was blocked, and the elevator wasn't working. We barricaded ourselves in one of the recovery wards, at the far end of the corridor, but it won't be long before they find us. They're breaking down every door and I think they're getting closer!"

"I think I know where you are." Shadow stated calmly. "Okay Monty, so what I need you to do now is stay where you are, make as little noise as possible, hold the barricade as long as you can and don't answer the door to anyone. Can you do that for me?"

"Y-yeah, we can do that." Monty replied.

"I'll make sure to clear the area first, and then I'll come find you and your group. I'll knock three times on the door, so you'll know it's me. We'll discuss what we're going to do from there when we meet face to face. Just stay calm, sit tight, and wait. I'll be there as soon as I can. Help is on the way."

"Thank you, thank you so much!"

"Don't mention it." Shadow replied. He took his thumb off the talk button and turned to Vanilla. The two silently held each other's gaze as Shadow placed the microphone down. "I'm sorry, Vanilla, I have to go."

"No, don't apologise. This is not your fault, it's completely out of your control." Vanilla responded. "Don't worry about us, we'll be fine. Besides, they need you much more than we do right now. You have to help them."

She hurried passed him and opened up one of the kitchen drawers near to the fridge. Shadow watched with mild curiosity as she rummaged around, before she eventually produced a pair of walkie talkies. "Here, take one of these." Vanilla said, walking over and handing him a navy blueish grey walkie talkie. He studied it in his hands for a moment, noticing the netted speaker on the front and the large, extendable antenna protruding from the top. It was covered in a layer of dust and slightly battered, possibly from being dropped a number of times. There was a blue and yellow chao sticker stuck to the back, perhaps to make the walkie talkie more personalised? "They're Cream's old walkie talkies. She doesn't use them anymore. They're a bit worn, but they are stocked up with fully charged batteries, so they should be working properly." She explained. "I'll stay in contact with the survivors on the radio and let you know if there are any changes."

"Thank you, Vanilla." Shadow said gratefully. "I'll be back before sundown, I promise." He told her, clutching the walkie talkie to his chest as he ran out of the kitchen and into the hallway.

"Stay safe!" Vanilla called after him.

Shadow planned on leaving the house through the roof exit, as he needed to head through the attic before he left. He gripped the smooth wooden banister and was about to climb the stairs when Cream came chasing after him. "Mr Shadow!" She cried, catching his attention. "You're not leaving, are you?"

"I'm afraid so, Cream." He replied.

"But- but you said you would be staying here today!" She protested, looking up at him with big, sad eyes. "And we didn't even get to finish talking, you were going to tell me something."

"I know, Cream, but something came up, so it will have to wait. There are a group of civilians trapped in the city that are in desperate need of my help." He explained, whilst walking halfway up the stairs. "I'll be back soon, though. You won't even notice I'm gone. But I really have to go now."

He retreated further upstairs, reaching the next floor and approaching the ladder that lead to the attic. Cream bounded up the stairs and raced towards him as fast as her little legs could carry her. "Wait!"

Shadow gripped the first ladder rung, as he was about to make the climb. He quickly turned round and gave the young rabbit a stern look. "Cream, I'm sorry, but the longer I stay here, the longer I'm putting those survivors in danger."

"Before you go, I want you to have this." She said, holding up her drawing of Shadow and blocking her face from view in the process. "For good luck." Cream stated, tilting her head and peering round the side of her artwork. "It has a message written on the back, so that you can read it whenever you're feeling down."

Shadow was stunned. She wanted him to have this? Something she had put so much love and care into even despite it's flaws? No one had ever given him something like this before. It was so... Sweet.

"Thank you. I'll make sure to hold onto this wherever I go." Shadow stated, accepting her gift. He carefully and neatly folded the picture four times and then tucked it into his glove for safe keeping.

Cream threw her arms around his waist, embracing him in a hug. Shadow stood there, as stiff as a board, shocked by this sudden rush of affection. She buried her face into his dark fur as she squeezed him tighter. "Come home soon." She whispered, her voice muffled.

 _Home?_ Shadow had never thought of this place as his home too. But... He would like to warm up to the idea. For the first time in what must have been forever... He was starting to feel like he belonged somewhere. Was this what being apart of a family was like?

It was nice.

Shadow hesitated for a moment before lifting his hands and placing one on top of Cream's head, while the other combed back her ears. "I will." He whispered softly.

Cream pulled away, and Shadow caught a hint of sadness in her eyes as her gaze was cast downwards. It was clear she didn't want him to go. He put his finger under Cream's chin and delicately pushed her head up, so she would make eye contact with him. "Will you be wishing for my success and safe return? I don't think I'll be able to do this without your positive influence."

The fear in her eyes vanished, being replaced by a sparkle of hope as she smiled and nodded "You bet."

Shadow lowered his hand and tenderly patted her on the head with the other. "Bye."

Shadow turned back to the ladder and climbed up into the attic, whilst Cream lingered at the bottom. He saw her briefly wave to him as he shut the hatch door and blocked out the rest of the world.

The attic was quiet and undisturbed, with the majority of the room now bathed in the golden glow of the sun. Alone once more, Shadow began his preparations. He picked up a stray, black leather belt hanging out of a storage box and wrapped it around his waist. He quickly tightened it, before holstering the walkie talkie Vanilla had given him on the belt. It was going to be used as a temporary holder. He then crossed the attic and knelt down by the round window, taking hold of the photo that was propped up against the wall. Sonic and Tails' happy, warm, smiling faces had crease marks over them, since the photo had been folded a handful of times, and would be again. After he did so, he slipped the photo into his other glove.

He was ready.

Shadow unhooked the latch and then pushed the roof trapdoor open. He then hoisted himself onto the roof and once he was on his feet, he kicked the trapdoor closed. The harsh wind was what hit him first. It was sharp and fast, the gale howled in his ears as it rushed passed him, ruffling his fur and spines. Shadow trudged across the roof, being mindful of any loose tiles, and leaned against the stone, brick chimney.

He caught a glimpse of the city on the horizon, across the rolling hills and far beyond the reaches of Vanilla's house. There were still fires blazing, along with towers of black smoke choking the sky, and he could just make out the outlines of the Death Egg Robots, that were stomping through the urban wasteland.

Shadow didn't take his eyes off the destruction as he lifted his arm and fiddled with his communicator in order to send out a call to Rouge. He wasn't expecting a reply, he just wanted to tick off his quota, as he often kept her posted with regular updates.

Unsurprisingly, he didn't receive a response, not even the crackle of that familiar static. "Hey Rouge." He greeted, even though he was speaking into the void. "I'm heading out to the city again, to help a small group of civilians. I did plan on staying with Vanilla and Cream today, but... Even the best laid plans can change. So if you get the chance to call me, then... Please do." Shadow pleaded.

He hesitated for a moment, his finger hovering over the button that would end the call. "I hope I get to see you soon." He added in a quiet whisper, before quickly shutting it off.

He had an immediate and strong desire to call her again and apologise for sounding so desperate and clingy, but he forced himself not to. There was no more time for chit-chat. It was time for action.

Shadow jumped down from the roof, landing with ease on the soft dirt, before he raced across the fields of bladed grass at blinding speed. He wasn't exactly certain on what awaited him in the city. Who was this 'leader' Monty mentioned, that was in charge of the robots? Could it be Infinite? Was he there, attacking the innocent? Could he possibly stoop any lower than he already had? Why would he be going after a bunch of random citizens? Unless... He was trying to lure Shadow to him?

Whoever this so called 'leader' was, they were in for one hell of a beat down. He vowed to make them pay for harming the defenceless.

* * *

Shadow had made it into the city in record time. Not that he was keeping track, mind you. Making the trip there was the easy part, as he had explored several alternate routes over the last four days to find the shortest distance and cut down on time. He also used his chaos teleportation ability wherever it was necessary. A few precious seconds could mean the difference between life and death.

Entering had proven to be somewhat tricky. He managed to slip passed a group of armed soldiers that were stationed at a checkpoint halfway across the Red Gate Bridge, which was one of the only bridges to survive the Eggman attack. Those soldiers were guarding it with their lives, since it was a vital escape route for any civilians that were still trapped.

Now, came the difficult part; reaching the hospital and saving Monty, as well as his group. The city streets were crawling with Egg Pawns. Luckily, he had managed to monitor and mesmerise the majority of their patrol routes, but so far, he was none the wiser about how many had already infiltrated the hospital. Therefore, confrontation was inevitable, plus he needed to keep his guard up and be looking out for the robots' unknown squadron leader.

A short distance away from the Red Gate Bridge, Shadow encountered a bulletin board listing details about a vast number of missing people. He briefly observed it, immediately noticing that the photos pinned up had doubled in size since the last time he laid eyes on it, to the point where the surface of the notice board was no longer visible. So many people... So many lives completely unaccounted for. Families ripped apart, couples separated, close friends split up. Some of the photos had been scorched by fire; they were either defaced or the corners were turned to ash.

Shadow reached into his glove and pulled out the photo of Sonic and Tails. He unfolded it and held it up in front of the missing persons board. He had thought about pinning it up before, drawing a circle around Tails' face to indicate who he was looking for, but it would have been a futile effort in the end. Plus, he didn't want to attract unwanted attention towards himself, or Tails, as it could put them at risk. There could be someone out there looking for both of them, someone dangerous. Besides, if any of these people were found, how would you reach out to their families? All of the phone networks were down.

Shadow folded the photo along the crease lines and slipped it back into his glove, before quickly getting back to the matter at hand. He unholstered the walkie talkie and held it up to his mouth as he spoke. "Vanilla, this is Shadow, do you copy?"

"Yes, your voice is a little distorted, but I can hear you." Vanilla replied. Her voice was also slightly distorted, but the words she breathed were coming through as clear as day. The walkie talkies were working better than he ever could have hoped.

"I just managed to gain access to the city and I'm now on my way to the hospital. Have there been any changes to Monty and his group's position?" He asked.

"No, they're still in the same room. Although, Monty is getting really restless, he's convinced that the robots are closing in."

"Try to get him to remain calm and let him know that I'll be arriving soon." Shadow instructed.

"Okay. I'll do my best." Vanilla stated, although there was a trace of uncertainty in her voice.

"That's all I can ask of you. You're doing well, Vanilla, you just need to keep it up." He reassured her. "I'll contact you again when I'm nearer to their location."

He holstered the walkie talkie to the belt and rushed down the street, feeling the blistering heat of the burning buildings and out of control fires, while the smell of smoke filled his nostrils as he jumped over fallen debris. Thankfully, there were no Death Egg Robots in the vicinity, so that was one less thing to worry about. He caught sight of the hospital, which was relatively intact, despite a couple of shattered windows on the lower floors, and was also one of a small few of buildings left standing in the area.

He was approaching the turnoff as well as the end of the street. He took a sharp left turn around the corner, before quickly speeding up. In front of the hospital were the ruins of a toppled building, as well as some large capital letters from the hospital sign. Without the missing letters it spelt 'HOPAL', which he didn't think was a word. As he drew closer, he spotted three Egg Pawns guarding the entrance.

Shadow gritted his teeth and charged towards the robots at high speed, his rocket boots propelling him forwards. "Chaos control!" He shouted.

For a brief moment, time stood still, the world around him ground to a halt, and the Egg Pawns were frozen in place. Shadow slammed his fist into the closest robot, puncturing its metal exoskeleton with ease. He reached inside its exposed circuit and ripped out a handful of wiring, and tossed them aside. Sparks and electricity surged through the gaping hole in its head, before he pummelled the robot into the ground with both fists. Shadow then leapt towards the second robot and sent it flying through the air with a powerful kick. It crashed through the window of a far away building.

Shadow landed on his own two feet with ease, as the flow of time returned to normal. "Chaos spear!" He shouted, spinning around and throwing a beam of pure chaos energy towards the final robot. It sailed over the Egg Pawn's head, missing it by a mile.

The Egg Pawn was rooted to the spot, completely unfazed, even though it should have been questioning why Shadow's small energy missile hadn't struck its initial target. The robot lifted its arm cannon, preparing to blast him, while Shadow folded his arms and flashed the robot a confident smirk.

The robot wasn't his target.

The sound of creaking could be heard from above, followed by a snap, and before the robot could even store up enough power, the letter 'H' came crashing down on top of it, crushing the Egg Pawn instantly.

Shadow unfolded his arms and quickly scanned the area, just to make sure that all the threats had been eliminated before hurrying towards the hospital entrance. The front, automatic sliding glass down wasn't working, but it didn't matter as the glass pane had been broken. Shadow stepped through the opening, standing on several pieces of shattered glass that cracked underfoot. The reception was empty, with no patients waiting or a nurse at the desk, answering phone calls or filling out paper work.

It was deathly quiet. Shadow grabbed the walkie talkie and spoke softly into it. "I'm in the hospital. I took out three robots that were guarding the entrance. So far, the reception area seems clear." He stated.

"That's good. I think the remaining robots are on the ninth floor. At least, that's what Monty is telling me." Vanilla told him.

"I guess I'll find out. Thank you for the heads up."

"You're welcome."

Shadow lowered the walkie talkie and cut through the reception, passing by the looted pharmacy on the way to the stairs. He ran up the countless flights, eventually reaching the ninth floor and bursting through the double doors.

The first thing he heard was the clanking of metal joints and heavy foot steps. Shadow crossed the small corridor and swivelled round, pressing his back against the sky blue painted wall. He peered around the corner, spotting four Egg Pawns that were bashing down doors.

He could take them out with ease using a speed boost. They were practically all lined up for him, waiting to be obliterated. Just as he was about to attack, the walkie talkie hanging from his belt let out an ear splitting alert sound, before Vanilla's voice pierced through the static. "Shadow, are you there? It's urgent!"

The robots snapped to attention, turning their heads towards him, their eyes glowing bright red in the dark corridor that was untouched by the sun. They stomped forwards, hands outstretched and their arm cannons at the ready. Shadow groaned, clenching his fists as he shot forwards. The closest robot swung for him, but Shadow ducked and followed with a uppercut, knocking its head clean off with a powerful punch. The headless robot flailed its arms around before it collapsed to the ground.

Shadow didn't linger for long and moved on to the second robot. He kicked the robot's torso, sending it flying backwards into the third and knocking it down like a bowling pin. The fourth managed to catch him off guard by blasting him with its plasma cannon. The energy blast threw him backwards, and he bashed his head against the wall. While he was suffering from a mild concussion, the Egg Pawn picked him up in its vice-like grip and slammed him into the wall, cracking the paint as well as the very foundation. Shadow cried out as the robot tightened its grip even more, crushing him. The robot readied another blast, an energy ball building up inside of its gun. Bordering on suffocating, Shadow lifted his foot and kicked the robot square in the face, ramming the heel of his rocket boot into its eye, smashing the dark red orb and leaving nothing but a gaping hole. The Egg Pawn staggered backwards, loosening its grip on Shadow. He pried its hand open, releasing himself and causing him to drop to the floor. Shadow caught his breath back before he clutched hold of the robot's cannon arm and tore it out of its shoulder joint. The empty socket fizzed with surges of electricity as wires hung loosely. He wielded the arm like a club, battering the Egg Pawn and knocking it to the ground, before lifting the cannon and fiddling with the wiring. He used the robot's arm against it, firing off an energy blast that burned through the robot's head. He swung round and fired another blast at the two robots that were still gathering themselves up off the floor, putting them down.

Shadow returned the robot arm to its rightful owner by throwing it at the smoking pile of junk metal. He then tried to walk away, only taking a single step before he collapsed to the ground. He winced in pain and clutched his bruised ribs. They could even be broken.

"Shadow? Shadow? Are you alright? What's happened?" Vanilla asked concernedly.

Shadow reached forwards and picked up the walkie talkie, which had fallen to the floor during the fight. "Y-yes, Vanilla, I'm alright." He replied, his voice strained as he struggled to speak. "I just had a bit of a close call with one of Eggman's robots, but I handled it."

"Oh thank goodness... I was starting to get really worried for a second there."

"Yeah, well, it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't contacted me when I was trying to avoid being detected." He murmured, forcing his eyes shut as a wave of pain crashed on top of him.

 _Rouge would have known better..._ Shadow shamelessly thought.

"I'm sorry, Shadow, I didn't realise." She apologised.

"No, it's alright, you couldn't have known, and I should have made you aware of my plan." He responded.

"Anyway, I called you earlier because Monty told me that one of his group members were looking out of the window and saw the robots' leader entering the hospital a few minutes ago." Vanilla explained.

"Right... I'm on it. I'll circle back to the entrance and try to get the jump on him." Shadow stated. He struggled for a moment as he attempted to push himself off the floor, until he eventually succeeded. He carried the walkie talkie in one hand, whilst clutching his aching ribs with the other, as he staggered down the hallway and stumbled through the double doors as he headed back down the long flight of stairs.

After a minute, he regained his stride, and descended the stairs much more easily. He didn't encounter anything or anyone on the way down, and once he arrived back at the reception, he discovered that there was no one there either.

 _That's odd._

Shadow held up the walkie talkie again. "There's no one here, Vanilla." He stated, his tone sounded slightly agitated, but who could blame him after a wasted trip?

"Are you sure?" Vanilla questioned.

"Yes, I'm sure. And I couldn't have missed him either because the stairs are the only point of access to the upper floors."

"That is so strange..." She murmured.

"Maybe one of Monty's group saw me entering the building and was mistaken. They are ten storeys up, so I was most likely hard to make out." He suggested.

"That's probably it." Vanilla agreed. Her voice betrayed her, because she sounded unsure.

"I'm going to double back and head up to the tenth floor. Let Monty know that all of the threats have been eliminated and that I will be there shortly." Shadow instructed.

"I'm on it." Vanilla replied. "You be careful now, okay?"

"I can handle this, Vanilla. The worst is over now." He stated. "But I'm going to have to mute you this time, just in case. I'll let you know when I've met up with Monty and his group."

"I'll be waiting."

Shadow lowered the walkie talkie and turned the volume off, before slipping it back onto his belt. He walked over to the stairway and let out an exasperated groan as he gazed up at the seemingly endless amount of steps. Why did the elevator have to be broken? Why did he have to climb all the way up to the tenth floor?

He wouldn't be complaining if his bruised ribs weren't causing him absolute agony. If he wasn't injured, this would be a walk in the park. Hopefully his healing factor would kick in soon.

Shadow sighed and began the long trek. Time seemed to drag as he slogged through the ordeal. Although on a positive note, there was something immensely gratifying about seeing floor numbers as he made the climb, especially when he spotted seven, eight, nine, and eventually ten. He had conquered the mountain of stairs and finally reached his destination.

He heard hushed whispering coming from the end of the corridor as soon as he entered the hallway through the double doors. His shoes squeaked against the floor, that looked to have been freshly mopped not long before disaster had struck. Shadow stopped in front of the final door and carefully knocked three times, deliberately leaving a brief pause between each one so that they could clearly make out all three individual knocks. The quiet murmuring amongst the scared survivors died, and a wave a silence washed over them. "It's him!" The distinct voice of Monty cried out, putting an end to the short lived moment of quiet. "Quick, help me get the door open!" He ordered. Monty's voice sounded slightly higher pitched compared to earlier, most likely because the radio had made him sound deeper, due to some distortion and problems with signal strength.

Shadow took a step back and listened to the sound of furniture scraping against the floor, as the civilians on the other side of the door shifted the barricade. After patiently waiting for roughly a minute, the door was slowly pulled open and a head popped out.

It was a cat. He had small pointed ears and emerald green eyes. Long, wirery whiskers sprouted out close to his pink nose. His fluffy fur was black and white patched, with one of his black markings covering his left ear and eye. The expression on his face was a mixture of happiness and relief, but as soon as his gaze landed on Shadow, those feelings vanished and his eyes widened in horror. "It's... you." He muttered, jaw hanging open. This had to be Monty, judging by his voice alone, even though he had only said two words.

"Yes, it's me." Shadow confirmed, giving him a confused look. "We spoke on the radio earlier."

Monty darted away from the door, trying to put as much distance between them as physically possibly. Now that Shadow could see his full body and not just his head, he noticed that Monty was rather tall and lanky. He was wearing a big, puffy, unzipped, olive green jacket, that had darker green patches on the elbows and badges, as well as bottle caps, pinned to the front. It looked like it was about one size too big for him. He was also clenching a portable communication radio in his gloveless hand. "N-n-no! No!" Monty stammered. "You're the one who attacked us! You led those robots here!"

Bewildered, Shadow quickly scanned the white washed, sterile room to discover that the rest of Monty's group, or at least the members that had helped him move the barricade, were fearfully backing away too. The rest were huddled in the far corner, by the windows. The room had windows facing the front of the hospital, and an alleyway on the left side. From a brief observation, the group members that were cautiously retreating had to be two of the adults, making Monty the third. One of them was a bird with shimmering red and orange feathers adoring a tattered scarf, while the other was a greyish blue cat with midnight blue eyes. The remaining members on the other side of the room, huddled behind some hospital beds that hadn't been used for the barricade, consisted of a young bird - who looked not much older than Cream - cradling their baby sibling who was weeping and whinging. The hatchling had burning red cheeks and looked rather sickly, with puke dribbling from its beak. Perhaps that was who the medicine was for? The two younger members were joined by what looked to be an elderly couple, who were both shrews. The medicine they raided from the pharmacy could have been for them too. He wondered how they all knew each other. Perhaps they had just been joined together after being thrusted into such awful circumstances.

That wasn't important right now, and even if he asked, he probably wouldn't get a direct answer. Besides, he needed to find out how they could possibly think he was responsible for the attack. "What are you talking about? I only just got here."

"Liar! You were there, calling the shots! I saw you, we all did!" Monty shouted. He seemed to have gained some confidence, maybe because he thought his group was in even more danger than ever before, and he wanted to step up. But Shadow was just assuming.

The other group members nodded in agreement, siding with Monty.

All of them saw him, leading a squadron of robots, in broad daylight? How was that even possible? Unless... It was that other Shadow, his exact copy. Was he here?

"Look, I don't know what exactly you all saw, but I swear that was not me. How could it have been? I spoke to you on the radio nearly twenty minutes ago, and wasn't even in the city when I answered you. We've never even met before." Shadow argued.

"You could have been literally anywhere when you answered my distress signal! How is that solid proof?" Monty questioned. "You were trying to lure us into a false sense of security, to gain our trust. I knew it was too good to be true, I had such an odd feeling, a part of me knew something was wrong, and now it all makes sense. I was trying to reach out to someone for hours, and you were listening all that time and maliciously waiting before answering so that I would be desperate enough to plead and accept help from anyone, so that I would let my guard down."

"If that were true, then why would I destroy all of the Doctor's robots lurking near and inside this building? Why would I go to all this trouble to trick you when I could break down the door and drag you out of here using brute force? Why would I show you my face if I knew you had seen me before? That would immediately put an end to my plan." Shadow stated. "Face it, Monty, it doesn't add up, and you know why? Because _it wasn't me._ And if you don't believe me, then ask Vanilla, the woman you've been speaking to throughout this whole ordeal. She will give me an alibi."

"How do I know she's not in on it? She could be working with you!" Monty spat.

Shadow rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for this." He muttered, his patience was wearing thin. "You're all in mortal danger. Monty, you and your group need to leave, and you need to leave now. The longer we stand here arguing, the longer we're putting you and everyone else at risk. Eggman's robots are programmed with a protocol that alerts all robots in the surrounding area to converge on their last known location before they power down. I've destroyed a number of robots making my way to you, so as we speak, there is an army on their way here. I need you to help me evacuate your people before it's too late."

"We're not going anywhere with you. I don't trust you, none of us do! You're going to lead us directly into a trap!" Monty shouted, gritting his teeth in anger.

"I wasn't asking you, I was giving you a command!" Shadow shouted back. "Do you want to be responsible for the deaths of everyone in this room?!"

"Going with you is suicide! I'd rather risk it and stay here than trust you with the lives of my group." Monty retorted, taking a few steps forwards. "It's clear none of us want you here, so why don't you just go?!" He yelled, giving Shadow a hard shove towards the door.

Shadow stumbled but regained his footing in a matter of seconds. The pain in his ribs returned, but he ignored it as his anger and frustration reached boiling point.

 _ **That's it.**_

He charged towards Monty, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket and slamming him into the wall, much to the rest of his group's horror, but they were too afraid to retaliate. Monty's eyes were wild with fear, while the rest of his body was completely paralysed. "I will not let you to get yourselves killed just because you're too stubborn or too stupid to listen!" He yelled, screaming into Monty's face. He let go of his jacket and allowed him to drop to the floor. Monty sat crumpled on the ground, too scared to get up. "Now I need you to hear me." Shadow said lowly. "Trust me, don't trust me, I don't care. But if you stay here a moment longer then you're all as good as dead. So don't make me tell you again or else I will drag each and every single one of you out of here kicking and screaming if I have to. It will be difficult, but if it means saving your lives, then I will do it."

Shadow paused for a moment and backed away from Monty, glancing around at the rest of the group. "Get. Out. NOW."

They didn't need to be told twice. The other two adults helped the elderly couple out of the room, whilst Monty picked himself up and offered to carry the baby hatchling for the young bird. Monty was also the last one to leave the recovery ward, but stopped by the door and turned back to Shadow.

"I don't know who you think you are or what kind of sick and twisted game you're playing; toying and messing with us, giving us false hope, pretending that you're on the side of good. But if we walk out of this hospital and straight into the clutches of Eggman's robots, we'll know exactly how evil you truly are."

"It won't happen." Shadow dismissed him. "You're acting awfully confident now, Monty, like you're some big shot hero. Just remember that you cracked under pressure, and without me, your group wouldn't have survived. You failed to protect them, and you failed to trust me. Once you go outside and see what I've done for you, you'll realise just how big of a mistake you've made." He whispered.

Monty turned away, patting the baby hatchling on the back and soothing it.

"Lead your group to the Red Gate Bridge. There are some soldiers stationed at a checkpoint that will give you the help you need." Shadow informed him. "I'm sorry I let my anger get the better of me, but I needed to get through to you and make you see sense. I wish you and your group the best of luck."

Monty didn't respond, he didn't even look back. The damage was already done. He just left, leaving Shadow isolated and alone in the recovery ward. Shadow watched him go, locking eye contact with the baby hatchling, that was looking over Monty's shoulder. It blinked sleepily at him, before they both disappeared around the corner.

That was another enemy Shadow had made.

He sighed deeply, running his fingers through his head quills. _What a mess._

He decided to wait a few minutes before he followed. He'd keep an eye on Monty's group from the shadows, just to ensure that they made it to the Red Gate Bridge.

Shadow watched the still functional plain white, ticking clock hanging on the wall above the door, as the minute hand slowly plodded along. After about three minutes, he thought he had given them enough of a head start, and was about to take his leave.

Suddenly, a familiar loud, roaring, distorted sound filled his ears. But then it abruptly stopped, but no sooner after, something came crashing through the window, sending glass shards flying. Shadow acted fast by crossing his arms and shielding his face. He felt some of the glass shards slice his body as they zipped through the air at alarming speed, cutting him and drawing blood.

Once the dust had settled, Shadow slowly lowered his arms, his gaze flowing towards the broken window. His eyes widened as his facial expression twisted and changed in a matter of seconds, going from confused to horrified and finally to angered. "You." He growled, tightly clenching his fists.

Surrounded by a sea of broken glass on the opposite side of the room, with the hellish, nightmare inducing, burning city visible behind him, stood the other Shadow, completely unscathed. He wished he could say the same for himself.

Now that he was up close and personal with his fake, he studied the other Shadow, examining every tiny detail of his features. There were no missteps, nothing was missing or oddly shaped, not even a microscopic difference in his appearance. He was a perfect copy, moulded completely in Shadow's image. It was like looking into a mirror.

Although... there was still a deadness in his crimson eyes. They looked empty and lifeless, like there wasn't a single shred of a living consciousness behind them. And yet... He seemed to stare right through Shadow, almost as if he could look into his very soul. There was something definitely unnerving and off-putting about his double.

"You, of course it just had to be you." Shadow muttered. He had been hoping to confront Infinite and settle the score, but it was good to finally be face to face with his clone. If he could take him down - which he was confident that he would - he'd have evidence, he could clear his name before it was tarnished even further. "Why did you attack Monty and his people? To frame me? Haven't you done that enough already? Or did you intend to lure me here?"

The other Shadow didn't answer.

Shadow gritted his teeth. "Who are you? What do you want?" He questioned. "...What are you?"

He received no response. Was he mute or just refusing to speak? There was no way to tell. The other Shadow was as still as a statue, his face void of any emotion as he stared blankly at him.

"Not much of a talker, huh? I can relate." Shadow stated, covering up for his lack of a response.

The other Shadow raised his fists and got into a fighting stance, antagonising Shadow further.

"You want to fight? Fine. Let's see how many beatings it will take to get some answers out of you." Shadow taunted him. He raised his fists and stood his ground.

The other Shadow shot towards him at an alarming rate. The clone attempted to land a heavy punch, but his fist only resulted in hitting thin air as Shadow reacted fast and ducked out of the way. Shadow then kicked the clone's legs out from underneath him, knocking him to the ground.

Even though he bashed his head when he fell, the other Shadow immediately grabbed hold of Shadow's legs and pulled him down, making him join the clone on the floor. Shadow snarled and thrashed his legs, causing the other Shadow to lose his grip so that he could strike him with a swift blow, kicking the clone directly in the face. The clone fell backwards as Shadow crawled and scrabbled away, putting some short distance between them as he staggered to his feet.

The other Shadow got up with ease. His shiny, black nose was broken and crooked, and blood was oozing from both nostrils. Much to Shadow's surprise, the clone looked unfazed as he paused to snap his nose back into place, and then wiped away the blood without a care in the world.

"Chaos spear!" Shadow shouted, shooting several small energy missiles towards the other Shadow from both hands.

The clone managed to dodge the first few with such speed and grace, like he could foresee them coming. He then caught the remaining missiles, holding them between his hands and briefly observing the ball of swirling, raw chaos energy like fireflies trapped in a jar. There were visible waves of power coursing up his arms, similar to that of an electrical current. Shadow could only watch feebly in utter shock. After being momentarily stored and converted for his own purposes, the chaos energy took on a much darker aura.

That's when he unleashed it. The other Shadow threw the chaos spears back at Shadow. He quickly dived over one of the hospital beds and flipped it onto its side, using it as a temporary form of cover. The missiles tore through the mattress and bed springs with ease, just narrowly missing him. However, one of the spears grazed his left shoulder, searing a layer of fur and flesh clean off. Shadow bit the inside of his lip so hard that he made it bleed, to stop himself from crying out.

He went to touch his shoulder, but stopped himself, as there was no time to tend to his wound now. Shadow felt chaos energy surging through the air, and just as he was getting back up, he caught sight of the other Shadow hovering effortlessly above the floor, electricity sparking off of him. A massive power blast erupted from the clone, sending a shock wave that propelled Shadow across the room and caused all of the remaining windows to shatter in a waterfall of broken glass. Shadow hit the wall, and it fractured on impact.

Shadow inhaled sharply as he struggled to breathe. He was severely winded. He attempted to rise to his feet, but the other Shadow sprinted across the room and grabbed him by his white chest fur. The clone lifted Shadow off the floor and punched him in the stomach. Hard. And then again, and again, and again, and again! There was no holding back, no mercy. Shadow coughed violently and wheezed. The clone ceased before he could beat him to a pulp and carried him halfway across the recovery ward, before throwing him towards the window.

Shadow managed to catch himself from falling off the edge by latching onto the window frame. He screamed in agony when a remaining glass shard was stabbed through the palm of his hand. As he yanked his arm away from the window frame - that the sharp piece of glass had managed to cling onto despite all the odds - the shard came with it.

Shadow sucked in air through gritted teeth as he clutched his wrist. Blood trickled down from his injured hand, staining his white glove. He went to touch the shard, but even a mere tap set his nerves ablaze, causing waves of pain to pulse through his body. He turned his attention back to the other Shadow, who was taking slow, deliberate steps towards him. He was teasing him, mocking him, taunting him with the prospect of attacking again. He wouldn't know when exactly, until he went for another strike. Shadow didn't have much fight left in him, as much as he hated to admit. He was exhausted, the injuries he had sustained were taking their toll and he was nearing the point of collapse.

For a brief moment, no more than a second, it almost seemed like the other Shadow wasn't there. It was barely noticeable, but Shadow managed to catch it. He was there, and then he wasn't, he was just gone for half a second, maybe even less than that, and then he miraculously reappeared. It was like his exact copy glitched - his physical form tapped out of reality. Shadow couldn't believing what he was seeing.

 _Am I losing my mind?_

"Impossible..." Shadow murmured breathlessly. How could he lose to an inferior version of himself?! "How can you have my powers, my chaos abilities? How can you be just as strong as me, if not stronger? How could you beat me? You're not even real, you're just an empty vessel, an imitation! You're a fake!" He shouted. He couldn't make sense of any of this anymore, it was beyond his comprehension. "Wh-what are you? What are you...? Why are you doing this?"

His questions fell on deaf ears.

"ANSWER ME!" Shadow yelled, whilst spitting blood.

His clone froze in place. Had Shadow finally managed to get through to him?

There was a tiny shift in the clone's demeanour and the way he held his stance. It looked like he was debating about what question he should answer, there was some thought process actually going on inside his head!

 **"fOr iNfIniTE."** The other Shadow uttered. The first words he had ever heard him speak.

He didn't sound like an android, which had always been Shadow's first guess as to what he was. There was a lack of any robotic inflictions in his voice. Although, his tone was dry, it had no weight, no conviction, no emotion, he was just deadpan.

 _Is that what I sound like to everyone else?_

"So you can talk..." Shadow muttered. "Your allegiance is to Infinite? Why?"

 _What about Eggman, was he not loyal to him too? Was he not involved?_

 **"he CreATed Me."** The other Shadow replied. **"YOu forceD HIS HAND. yOU shOuLD hAve aCcEpTEd hIs offER wheN YOU Had The cHaNce."**

"Offer? What are you talking about?" He asked.

 **"YOu DOn'T rEmembeR?"** The other Shadow shot a question back at him. **"sUch A** **PiTY. yoUr memOry IsN't alL It'S CraCKed Up to Be. tHEN Again, YOU hAVEN'T quiTE beeN yoUrSelF LateLy. YOu HaVen't bEEN THE SAMe EvEr sIncE yOU escaPED ViRtUAl ReaLiTY."**

"...What?" Shadow murmured, wracked with confusion. His head was buzzing, swarming with different ideas and theories.

 **"It** **POiSoned** **yoU, Shadow."** The clone stated.

 _Poisoned? What does that even mean?_

 _He's lying, he has to be! I'm- I'm fine! It's... It's not real! None of it is!_

 **"aNd** **nOW...** **iNFiNitE** **IS** **coming** **FoR** **yOU."**

Shadow was speechless. By searching for answers, he had only gotten more questions. He felt so lost. So broken. What even was the truth anymore?

Before he could react, the other Shadow lurched forward and kicked Shadow in the stomach, sending him flying out of the window. Shadow stretched out his hands, but it was too late, there was nothing to grab, no way to save himself from the drop. There was nothing more he could do.

The wind thrashed him as he fell through the air. Shadow stared skywards as he stayed motionless during the long fall. He met eyes with the fake Shadow, who was standing at the window, watching and observing all the while, with a frown on his lips. He felt his mirror image stare right through him once more. His cold, dead crimson eyes never broke away, even as he got further and further from sight, until he was nothing but a murky black and red dot.

"What are you?" Shadow whispered one final time, his own words barely registering in his ears as the wind roared and howled.

In the back of his mind he could hear that same loud, roaring, distorted sound. It started creeping through his head like a parasite until it was all he could think about.

His eyelids grew heavy. The world turned dark and he was shrouded in the inky blackness of the void. His eyes forced themselves shut as he passed out before he even hit the ground.

* * *

 **A/N - I'm sorry about the delay. This chapter wasn't supposed to have taken as long as it did. Let me give you the run down on what happened: when I started writing this in December, I became ill with a fever, and not long after that I got an ear and eye infection. I decided to give myself time to recover before continuing, and I got back to it when January rolled around. I was unsatisfied with the chapter, and due to later plot changes, I needed to rewrite it, and just when I was getting close to finishing it too. I basically shot myself in the foot and had to start from scratch. You can imagine how demotivating that was. But it's finally done, and it's super long, so I hope that makes up for the wait!**

 **I was going to split this into two parts, but this chapter was in two acts, and the second juxtaposes the first. It wouldn't work if it weren't whole.**

 **I realise that Emerl is a character that lives with Vanilla and Cream, but I haven't played any of the games he's in, and I couldn't find a place for him in this story even if I wanted to add him. Plus, I wanted to make Vanilla and Cream vulnerable, in order to bring them closer to Shadow. I really wanted to develop a big brother/little sister dynamic between Shadow and Cream as well.**

 **I hope you like the glitches in the other Shadow's dialogue. I wanted to present this sort of offness, that there's something definitely wrong with him, that Shadow can't see, but the audience can. I used a random capitalisation tool, so none of it is intentional, except for when he says Shadow's name normally. There are some mysteries sprinkled throughout this chapter, stuff that will be addressed and answered in due time. I think the main thing is: was the Infinite in Shadow's dream fake, a projection or the real him?**

 **Hopefully chapter 4 shouldn't take as long! See you soon! :)**


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